Updated July 30, 2026 11:54AM
While the U.S. and Europe are battling heatwaves, South American ski resorts in the Andes are blanketedin some of the deepest powder in decades.
Winter arrived late and then all at once for these Andean ski resorts, which opened in mid-June with bare ridgelines and zero snowflakes. Weeks later, a string of storms buried roads and swallowed chairlifts.
While the U.S. ski season was largely considered a bust, the austral winter has suddenly delivered extraordinary conditions, prompting forecasters to recall the legendary season of 1997, when the Andes were blessed with multiple major storm cycles. I’ve lived in the shadow of these mountains for 12 years, watching winter unfold from the Chilean capital of Santiago. Never have I seen the high peaks hold as much snow as they do now.
Ski patrol, ski school and maintenance staff at Portillo ski resort, two hours north of Santiago, have been shoveling nonstop after a whopping 213 inches—or 17.7 feet—dumped down on the base area, home to an iconic canary yellow hotel along a sapphire lake. While the road up to Portillo (replete with 29 hairpin turns) remains closed, crews have been working around the clock to open it. In the meantime, guests are helicoptering in to enjoy the epic conditions at South America’s oldest winter resort, a longtime favorite among Americans for its quirky, throw-back charms and maximum of 450 guests.
“This year, there will be places that people of all abilities will be able to explore that have not been skied in decades,” Portillo’s operations manager Michael Rogan told Outside. Rogan notes that rocks normally used as guide markers to groom slopes are no longer visible. He thinks conditions could still be “out of this world” well into the spring.
“The best way to start the Northern Hemisphere season is to finish the Southern season here in early October,” he adds.
That’s exactly what Olympic teams from the U.S., Canada, Norway and Austria will do; they’ve all lined up to do their summer training at Portillo starting late next month.
Biggest Snowstorm Hits Andes Ski Resorts in Decades
Of course, Portillo isn’t the only ski center to receive a year’s worth of snowfall in a matter of days. The so-called Tres Valles resorts of El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado‚—all in the Andes directly above Santiago—have also been slammed by record-breaking blizzards.
“The storms over the past several days are the biggest we’ve seen in decades, and they’ve created exceptional conditions all across the mountains,” says Valle Nevado’s general manager, Dominique Rudloff. “Even better, additional snowfall is expected over the coming days, making this an ideal time for Northern Hemisphere skiers and snowboarders to extend their winter.”
Valle Nevado sits at around 10,000 feet and has already received 145 inches of snowfall this season—including 102 inches in a single week. La Parva lies about 1,000 feet down-mountain and has racked up 86 inches. Colorado-based Mountain Capital Partners recently acquired both resorts and linked them via a single lift pass to create the largest interconnected skiable terrain in the Southern Hemisphere. Access to the expansive alpine bowls and more than 4,200 skiable acres is available to anyone staying at one of Valle Nevado’s three hotels, or the new Aconcagua Ski Residences.
Like Portillo, Valle Nevado and La Parva plan to extend the 2026 season well into October. All resorts are within two hours of Santiago’s international airport, making them easily accessible to foreign visitors; eligible Ikon Pass, Mountain Collective Pass, and Power Pass holders can also take advantage of reciprocal access at Valle Nevado.
Over in Argentina, Las Leñas has been the main benefactor of the current storm cycle. The iconic resort, about three hours from Mendoza, now has a base depth of roughly 32 inches. Yet, the biggest snow totals undoubtedly lie in Central Chile, where a category four atmospheric river has fed a constant stream of moisture over a wild two-week span.
The weather has been fueled by an exceptionally strong El Niño. This powerful, naturally occurring phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean is typically associated with higher sea temperatures and heavier rainfall in parts of western South America. More snow is on the horizon, but so, too, are sunnier days, making it an opportune time to plan a trip.
Chasing Powder in American Summers
Meteorologist and powder hunter Luke Stone spent ten days in Chile riding out the storm at Valle Nevado and Nevados de Chillán, about six hours south. He leaped into deep dumps, and carved turns down empty slopes, but also faced some trials along the way. “It’s important to keep in mind all the logistical challenges when it’s snowing a lot regarding road closures, mountain operations, avalanche control, terrain availability and stuff like that,” he says. “All of this is more complicated than what you might deal with in North America, the Alps or Japan.”
When storms dump this much snow, this fast access to the Andes becomes challenging, so Stone spent four days locked in at Valle Nevado. The international highway to Portillo has also experienced prolonged closures, while some communities down-mountains have dealt with devastating floods. Avalanche control and stability checks are the first priority for officials before roads open up to skiers.
But as the storms clear in the coming weeks, the payoff should be extraordinary: easier access to some of the deepest skiing the Andes have seen in years.
Plan Your Ski Trip to the Andes
As summer days in North America get hotter and hotter, a bucket list ski trip to the Andes sounds even more enticing.
When to Visit
The Southern Hemisphere ski season typically runs from mid-June to the end of September—though this year will likely extend into mid-or late-October.
How to Get There
Americans can book direct flights to Santiago from several US hubs, including Miami, Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles.
Make it Happen
Portillo and Valle Nevado offer multi-day all-inclusive ski packages, including room, board, and lift tickets. The Tres Valles resorts are also easily accessible from hotels in Santiago’s eastern neighborhoods, including Las Condes and Vitacura. Las Condes-based Skitotal offers rentals and resort transfers.
Itching to Ski with a Pro?
Legendary professional skier and local Aspen ski legend Kim Reichhelm has led Ski With Kim trips to Portillo for 20 years. The former U.S. Ski Team member and two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion leads small-group seven-day guided trips in Portillo for advanced-intermediate to expert skiers.
How Much Will it Cost?
Prices for lift tickets vary, but can be up to 50 percent cheaper than marquee North American resorts. Ticket prices typically drop in the latter half of the season, except in mid-September, when Chileans celebrate Independence Day.
Mark Johanson is a freelance journalist and author of the Chile-set travelogue Mars on Earth who has lived in Santiago since 2014. For Outside‘s summer issue, he covered Patagonia’s new national park. He carves turns down the Andes each winter and has never seen snow totals like this!
