While most of us in North America sweat our way through a late-June heat wave, the ski resorts south of the equator are getting buried with snow鈥攕o much snow that one ski area has delayed its opening day for a second time. Chile鈥檚 is sitting pretty with a total of 198 inches of snow on the year so far鈥攖wo inches shy of its 200-inch average seasonal snowfall鈥攂efore the resort has officially opened.
Originally scheduled to kick off the season the weekend of June 20, the resort located about a two-hour drive from Santiago received over 100 inches of snow leading up to opening day, forcing it to postpone to June 26. Another winter storm taking aim on the Andes this week has again compelled the resort to push the start of the season again, this time to June 29.
Suffice it to say that Portillo skiers will be able to celebrate the start of the 75th anniversary season with a much-anticipated powder day.
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The nascent 2024 South American winter has been eventful, to say the least. In May, several ski areas were able to due to generous early-season snow. Before the calendar was even flipped to June, resorts including Chile鈥檚 Valle Nevado, El Colorado, and La Parva began spinning lifts thanks to winter storms that brought 4 to 6 feet of snow. Argentina鈥檚 Cerro Catedral, at the country鈥檚 southern tip, saw a stunning eight feet of snow in mid-May.
And Las Le帽as, set near the Argentinean city of Mendoza, got so much snow that its access road has been completely buried. was supposed to host a pre-opening celebration on June 20, but too much snow made that impossible. The resort will now open for the season on June 29 with a at its 11,000-foot summit.
All of this early-season bounty could equate to one of the longest seasons in recent history for South America鈥檚 mountain resorts. While they typically begin to wind down in September, a deep base could stretch winter through the better part of October鈥攋ust long enough for the flakes to fly here in North America once again.
We鈥檝e said it before, but we鈥檒l say it a little louder for the folks in the back: If a ski trip to the resorts of the Andes sounds appealing, this might be the summer to heed the call. There hasn鈥檛 been an early season quite like this in recent memory, and our dollar goes pretty far down there. What鈥檚 more, Portillo is offering 15 percent off stays before July 26 for a traditional ski week, which includes lift tickets, accommodations, and meals. For the special offer, email reservations@skiportillo.com.
Check out 厂碍滨鈥檚 for the down-low on the must-visit resorts, the best times to go, how to get there, and more travel intel.