The July 2007 Argentine winter storm resulted from the interaction of an area of low pressure systems across central

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

and the entry of a massive polar cold snap during the 6–8 July 2007; it was the worst

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

of Argentina in almost forty years. Severe

snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

s and

blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...

s affected the country. In

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

, several lakes were frozen. The cold snap advanced from the south towards the central zone of the country during Friday, July 6, continuing its displacement towards the north during Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8. On Monday July 9, the simultaneous presence of very cold air, above the average levels of the

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A ...

as in the surface, gave place to the occurrence of snowfalls even in localities where snow is very rare. This phenomenon left at least 46 people dead in Argentina, six in Chile, and 3 in Bolivia.Frío intenso y nieve en la mayor parte del país
Diacrítico de Bolivia, July 10, 2007 It was the third time that a phenomenon like this happened in the country. The first time was in 1912 and the second one was in 1918, when the most significant volume of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughou ...

accumulation on the ground ever registered in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

took place. Since July 9 is a national holiday in

, crowds gathered in the streets and parks all over the country to experience snow, many for the first time in their lives.

Cities affected by snowfalls

Nieva en Buenos Aires - Auto nevado - 9JUL07

During the July 9, 2007, weather radars, monitored this snowfalls and announced the cities that were affected by the blizzard. The coldest temperature plunged to −32 °C (−26 °F) and was registered in the province of Rio Negro.

Gallery

File:San_Antonio_de_Padua_Iglesia_02.jpg, '' San Antonio de Padua,

Buenos Aires province Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...

'' File:Snow in Buenos Aires 3.jpg, ''

Buenos Aires city Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

'' File:Snow in Buenos Aires 1.jpg, '' Chacabuco Park, Buenos Aires city'' File:Estacion de Padua Nevada.jpg, ''San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires province'' File:Snow in Buenos Aires 2.jpg, Light snow over a residential Buenos Aires neighborhood File:Nieve_Ranelagh.JPG, Snow in Ranelagh, Buenos Aires File:Snow in Buenos Aires.jpg, Snowfall in Buenos Aires city at night File:Nieve LaCarlota.jpg, Snowy trees at La Carlota, Córdoba province

External links

Buenos Aires sees snowfall
BBC News July 10, 2007
Después de 30 años, nevó en varias ciudades del interior
— La Nación
Videos enviados por los lectores
— La Nación
Por primera vez en casi un siglo, nieva en la ciudad de Buenos Aires
— La Nación

— Clarín

References

{{coord missing, Argentina Weather events in Argentina 2007 in Argentina 2007 meteorology

Cities affected by snowfalls

Gallery

See also

External links

References