Chile faces heavy rain, strong winds and snow as frontal system closes mountain routes

A cold frontal system moved into central and southern Chile on Tuesday, delivering 20‑30 mm of rain from Coquimbo to Magallanes and gusts of 60‑80 km/h. Meteorologists said flooding was unlikely, but a second front is expected to arrive Friday and linger into Saturday, reinforcing precipitation in the south.

The cold front also triggered heavy snowfall in the high Andes, prompting authorities to shut the international Paso Pehuenche (Chile‑Argentina border) and close the I‑45 road to Termas del Flaco. Forecasts called for 7‑32 cm of snow, temperatures as low as –14 °C, wind up to 69 km/h and a high risk of black‑ice and avalanches.

Santiago experienced the rain followed by a rapid temperature drop, with several Metropolitan communes expected to see early‑morning lows near 0 °C and possible frost. The rain is forecast to end around 15:00 on Wednesday after delivering 5‑10 mm of precipitation. A later frontal push may bring new snow to the surrounding cordillera later in the week.