Satellite Images Profile Snowfall In Atacama Desert By Mark
Dunphy One of the driest spots on earth experienced its heaviest
snowfall in almost two decades this week, according to the
Chilean Directorate of Meteorology (DMC). A cold front brought
up to 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) of snow to the Atacama desert
region of South America forcing emergency services to close
local roads and rescue dozens of motorists from their vehicles.
The temperature in the Chilean capital, Santiago, dropped below
minus 8c on Wednesday. Neighbouring Argentina and Uruguay also
experienced subzero temperatures. Located in the north of Chile,
the Atacama Desert records less than 50mm of rain on average
each year. Some weather stations in the region record only 1-3mm
of rain each year. The desert is, according to NASA, National
Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the
world, due to the rain shadow on the leeward side of the Chilean
Coast Range, as well as a coastal inversion layer created by the
cold offshore