Argentinean City of Córdoba Experiences Snow for the 1st Time in 14 Years

For the first time in 14 years, temperatures in Córdoba, Argentina's capital city, dropped low enough for snow to fall, and locals came outside to enjoy the once-in-a-decade snowstorm.

Snow in Córdoba

Residents of Córdoba, the capital of the same-named province, flocked to the streets late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning to photograph the winter wonderland - and to take advantage of the rare chance to enjoy the unusually cold weather. Snowball battles erupted in several sections of the city, which is home to one of South America's oldest colleges and is famed for its Spanish colonial architecture.

"It's wonderful," Carlos Diaz told AFP. "We all saw the snow around two o'clock in the morning, and when we woke up this morning, we saw all this beauty; it's the first time I've seen so much snow." "It's all so lovely; let's take it all in."

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Wednesday's Snowfall

The precipitation that started as a rain began just after midnight local time, then mixed with and turned to snow two hours later when temperatures plummeted to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius).

Residents' photos and videos revealed a coating of up to an inch or two (3-5 cm) of snowfall around the city.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, there was a brief period of freezing rain before the precipitation turned back to rain, and the temperature rose above freezing.

According to a local news source, the Highway Police stopped roads on numerous national and provincial highways due to snow and ice on the roads, but no significant events were recorded.

While snow is not uncommon in Córdoba, winter precipitation is more common at higher altitudes than in the city itself.

"Snowfall is not unheard of in Córdoba," said AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, "but it is quite uncommon, possibly occurring once every 10 years or so."

Wednesday's snowfall was the first in June, according to MetSul Meteorologia, adding to the rarity of the occurrence.

Snow in Argentina

Snowfall is most common in Argentina during July, which is the coolest month of the year on average. In June, the average low temperature in Córdoba in June is 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius), while it drops to 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) in July.

According to Argentina's National Meteorological Service, in addition to Córdoba, snowfall was observed in the adjacent provinces of Mendoza and San Luis. Snow was also observed in the higher elevations in the northwest provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, and Catamarca.

The uncommon snow occurrence in Córdoba was a severe storm system followed by a polar air mass.

"The powerful storm that brought light rain and snow to central and northern Chile Tuesday night into Wednesday morning was the same storm that brought light rain and snow to Córdoba on Wednesday," Nicholls added.

"There will be a similar configuration later next week," Nicholls said, "but unlike this present storm, there will be a shortage of cold air near the surface, so any precipitation in Cordoba next week will fall as rain."

Last Snowfall in Córdoba

The last time it snowed in Córdoba was on July 9, 2007, during Argentina's coldest winter of the century thus far.