Some South American Ski Areas End 2018 Season Early
A number of South America’s best-known ski areas have ended their 2018 seasons early due to poor conditions.
Although there were some significant snowfalls through winter 2018 in the Andes, they were few and far between, with the famed Andean powder hard to come by for much of the season at most resorts.
(Las Lenas reminded its guests that things looked good back before the season even began ion 29th May)
The world-famous resort of Portillo in Chile closed at the end of last weekend – it’s base rarely got above 50cm/20 inches all winter.
Most other ski areas in Chile including El Colorado and La Parva also closed on September 10th.
However some, including Nevados de Chillan (pictured below this weekend), which had a volcano erupt close to its slopes earlier in the season but also reported on of the best snowfalls on the winter in the Andes in August, are still open.
In Argentina the famous resort of Las Lenas also closed last weekend, but the continent’s biggest resort in terms of lifts and runs, Catedral (pictured top today) is still open.
The season dates vary in South America but in an average or good winter resorts usually stay open at least to the end of September and often to the start of October.
Elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere it has been a snowy winter in Australia and ‘mixed’ in New Zealand.
