This weekend the capital of Chile was surprised by the biggest snowfall in years, i.e. about 5 centimeters. The snow had been announced during the week, but it surpassed the geographic area that was expected to be affected, covering from the southern region of Coquimbo to the region of Los Lagos. The Chilean government said it is a good example of climate change. All the neighborhoods in the capital were affected by the snow storm, although the areas closest to the Andes were affected the most.
The National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior (Onemi) stated that more than 315,000 customers from various parts of Santiago, the Chilean capital, were without electricity last weekend. The snow fall and some trees that fell down damaged some electrical lines. As a result, many households were left unheated in the middle of this cold spell.
Santiago's airport announced that, despite the storm, it was fully operational. It also snowed in other south-central regions of the country, such as Valparaiso, O'Higgins, and Maule. Weather forecasts no longer show snow in central Chile, but temperatures will remain below zero.
The Meteorological Directory of Chile stated the following alert for Monday, July 17, 2017, "there will be moderate to intense morning frosts in the valleys and pre-mountainous areas from the region of Valparaiso to Biobío."
FreshPlaza will update the information this week in case the storm has affected the fruit and vegetable sectors.