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Country
Chile
Southern-hemisphere skiing in the Andes, some of it within easy reach of Santiago.
Chile snow forecast
Snow is expected at 2 of 3 places in Chile in the next 7 days.
| Rank | Place | Snow in the next 7 days | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portillo | 30–90 cm | Likely |
| 2 | Valle Nevado | 35–55 cm | Likely |
Snow in Chile
Chile’s ski resorts are in the Andes above Santiago, which puts serious mountains within two hours of an international airport. Valle Nevado, with lifts from 2,860 m to 3,670 m, is the largest and links with La Parva and El Colorado in the Tres Valles above the capital. Portillo, near the Argentine border pass, is the oldest resort in South America, a single yellow hotel beside a lake at 2,800 m with famously steep terrain.
In our record Valle Nevado and Portillo average about 8 to 9 snowy days at mid-mountain in June and July. The central Andes are dry, and snow comes in a handful of large storms a season, so the difference between a good and a bad year is wide.
When it snows
The season runs from mid-June to early October, with July and August the core months. Southern-hemisphere winter is the northern summer, which is why Chile draws race teams and skiers escaping the off-season.
Getting there
Santiago airport is about two hours from Valle Nevado and two to three from Portillo. The road to Valle Nevado has dozens of hairpins and can be restricted to four-wheel drive or chains after storms.