Parts of Chile Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth were covered in snow in August 2026 after an unusual series of winter storms swept across northern Chile.
NASA satellite imagery captured the rare transformation showing snow extending from the Andes across the normally arid desert and approaching the Pacific coast near Antofagasta.
The snowfall was particularly notable for the distance the weather system travelled across the desert. One storm affected the high altitude Chajnantor plateau home to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Heavy snow and strong winds forced the observatory to suspend operations and place its antennas in protective mode.
A second storm later in August carried snow much farther west, crossing the heart of the Atacama and reaching areas close to the Pacific coast.
The rare weather was linked to a “cutoff low” a pocket of low pressure that had separated from the main jet stream. An exceptionally large trough over the Southern Hemisphere helped create conditions for the system to develop.
At the same time abundant moisture was present near the Chilean coast. The combination of cold air and moisture allowed precipitation to reach areas that normally remain extremely dry.
The storms also produced unusually heavy rainfall. In Taltal, nearly 40 mm of rain fell over three days around 10 times the city’s average annual rainfall.
The developing El Niño also provided an important background influence. The climate phenomenon weakened the subtropical Pacific high pressure system that normally helps maintain the Atacama’s extreme dryness and shifted storm tracks closer to northern Chile.
Snow in a Desert is Rare but not Impossible
Although snowfall in deserts is unusual, it is not unprecedented. Northern Saudi Arabia experienced snowfall in December 2025, while the Atacama itself saw another snowstorm in June 2025.
What makes the 2026 event remarkable is its broad geographical reach. The snowfall demonstrates how an unusual combination of cold air, moisture and shifting atmospheric circulation can temporarily transform even one of the planet’s most reliably dry landscapes.