White Room Engulfs Chile, Dropping Three Plus Feet of Snow

South American ski resorts are swimming in powder right now. Over the past week, a powerful storm hammered the Andes, delivering late-August bounty to resorts in Chile and Argentina.

At Valle Nevado, Chile, over five feet of snow fell in the last week. That's nearly 40% of their snowfall this season in just the last 7 days. In so many words, it's a powder wonderland down south.

Valle Nevado is not the only resort reaping the rewards of this late season dump. At Ski Portillo, Chile, three feet of snow fell in just four days, sending the Central Andes resort back into midwinter mode. The fresh snow allowed Portillo to open the mountain's full terrain.

Receiving nearly 66% of its total season snowfall in the last week, La Parva is yet another Chilean resort that's running as good as it gets. La Parva also made Chilean national news in recent days when a skier, who ignored patrol notices and went into avalanche prone terrain, triggered an avalanche that swept a number of skiers off their feet. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.

While northerners look at South America with envy, remember that not all is lost. North American resorts are starting to release opening day plans, which means Winter is truly right around the corner. While it’s still August, the late-season dump down south offers a tantalizing thought. Might late season there mean early season here?