# Buenos Aires' Rare Snowfall - First Since 1918



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Buenos Aires gets first snow since 1918 *
By BILL CORMIER, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jul 9, 7:20 PM ET

Thousands of Argentines cheered and threw snowballs in the streets of Buenos Aires on Monday as the capital's first major snowfall since 1918 spread a thin white mantle across the region.

Wet snow fell for hours in the Argentine capital, accumulating in a mushy but thin white layer late Monday, after freezing air from Antarctica collided with a moisture-laden low pressure system that blanketed higher elevations in western and central Argentina with snow.

"Despite all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen in snow in Buenos Aires," said Juana Benitez, an 82-year-old who joined children celebrating in the streets.

Argentina's National Weather Service said it was the first major snow in Buenos Aires since June 22, 1918, though sleet or freezing rain have been periodically reported in decades since.

One man stripped to his shorts to welcome the snow. Children scraped snow of cars and threw snowballs. Motorists honked horns, some with small snowmen on their hoods. Some fender benders were reported on slick suburban streets.

The storm struck on Argentina's Independence Day holiday, adding to a festive air and prompting radio stations to play an old tango song inspired by the 1918 snowfall, "What a night!"

"This is the kind of weather phenomenon that comes along every 100 years," forecaster Hector Ciappesoni told La Nacion newspaper. "It is very difficult to predict."

The snow followed a bitter cold snap in late May that saw subfreezing temperatures, the coldest in 40 years in Buenos Aires. That cold wave contributed to an energy crisis and 23 deaths from exposure.

Two more exposure deaths were reported on Monday.


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## OtAkAw (Aug 5, 2004)

Oooh, amazing! I wish we could have something like that here in the Philippines. It's all tropical here. A good, nice "cold wave" would do wonders.


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## Leandrix (Nov 14, 2006)

Pics of the member Agustín Faggiano.

Moreno City, Buenos Aires Province.



Agustin Faggiano said:


> Estas son de la cuadra de mi casa, en Moreno, provincia de Buenos Aires!!
> No es Cap. Fed., pero como están agregando fotos de varios lugares, las subo acá...
> 
> 
> ...


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## tricolor87 (Jan 10, 2007)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=496590&page=2

More pictures from argentine forum:

in the downtown










las pampas










in Pilar


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## Jota Pe (Nov 9, 2006)

From "La Nación" newspaper's online version:




























































































The people... So happy!


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## ØlandDK (May 29, 2005)

Looks like everybody is happy


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## xiaoluis (Apr 1, 2006)

I'am Very happy, it's the first time that i see snow in Buenos Aires 

Just take a look, these are videos from Pilar in the suburbs of Buenos Aires City.


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## xiaoluis (Apr 1, 2006)

> Pics from KUZAMAMA


kay:


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## diz (Nov 1, 2005)

OMGoodness. Ustedes son suertes.!


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## Kuzamama (Mar 14, 2007)

Mad Weather. Apocalipsis now!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## xiaoluis (Apr 1, 2006)

diz said:


> OMGoodness. Ustedes son suertes.!


我是中国人， 你因该写 ustedes tienen suerte！, google 的语言工具很差。 
哈哈哈！！ 
欢迎来阿根廷！！


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## la bestia kuit (Aug 10, 2005)

very rare!!!! It was incredible!!!!

suburban city!










Train in the outside of the City




























in Buenos Aires City


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## raft (Jun 21, 2007)

Oelanddk said:


> Looks like everybody is happy


Strange, but yes!! (got to feel sorry for all the people without proper shelter)
I went out to the street and everyone was smiling, except for the pizza delivery boys. I went to the top of the building I live in to feel it and watch it properly, and to take some photos and it was amazing that, at 8pm, wherever you looked there was a camera flash. Everyone was taking pictures!!!


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

That's crazy! I hope they enjoy it...it's small enough not to be a problem.

And here in the US, we're under a heat wave...at the opposite latitudes of the world.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Quite a lot of accumulation! Will the temperatures stay cold enough for the snow to stay?


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## ldz84 (Feb 29, 2004)

hkskyline said:


> Quite a lot of accumulation! Will the temperatures stay cold enough for the snow to stay?


mmm... it would be very strange, actually we have like 5ºC and sun is trying to shine... snow is melting... it's a petty but i think we will have to wait lot of years to see snow again...


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

Man, we really have to do SOMETHING about this global warming problem!

:lol: :lol: :lol: 

Enjoy those snowpeople, snow angels and snowball fights while you can!



Mike


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## LMCA1990 (Jun 18, 2005)

nice. signs of the world cooling off.


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## Kenguy (Dec 22, 2006)

looks like some climate change is happening in the southern hemisphere. Recently there was snowfall in South Africa (Johannesburg). I dont know how frequently this happens.


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## chris_maiden (Dec 3, 2006)

I miss that day!!

Beautiful photos.


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## LosAngelesSportsFan (Oct 20, 2004)

it snowed in LA this year too! VERY odd for it to snow in the basin. the mountains and foothills get snow every year, but it was snowing in Westwood, Hollywood and Malibu!

by the way, global warming doesnt mean literally just global warming, its a combination of things including extreme weather, such as snow in BA or LA.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

LosAngelesSportsFan said:


> it snowed in LA this year too! VERY odd for it to snow in the basin. the mountains and foothills get snow every year, but it was snowing in Westwood, Hollywood and Malibu!
> 
> by the way, global warming doesnt mean literally just global warming, its a combination of things including extreme weather, such as snow in BA or LA.


I would like to see pics cause I've never seen snow in LA. In fact I was in LA at one point during winter and never saw snow.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

It can be either El Nino or La Nina, resulting in warming and cooling trends that fuel storms and weird weather.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

hkskyline said:


> It can be either El Nino or La Nina, resulting in warming and cooling trends that fuel storms and weird weather.


One thing, it will never happen in HK but it snows in Shanghai.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

LOL! It was so fun watching the excitement and happiness of the people over the snowfall!! We get lots of it here in the winter, so it doesn't usually make us quite so happy!!


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Taller said:


> LOL! It was so fun watching the excitement and happiness of the people over the snowfall!! We get lots of it here in the winter, so it doesn't usually make us quite so happy!!


It's a rare occasion in BA. Compared to cities like Toronto, New York or Chicago where they get it every winter.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

WANCH said:


> One thing, it will never happen in HK but it snows in Shanghai.


There has been frost in Hong Kong before. People went up to Tai Mo Shan to see it. It can snow in Shanghai though.

Weird thing is there was not a single Typhoon 8 last year in Hong Kong. The weather has been fairly calm this year as well, but the winter was fairly warm. It was 25C+ during Chinese New Year.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

WANCH said:


> It's a rare occasion in BA. Compared to cities like Toronto, New York or Chicago where they get it every winter.


Out of those three cities, Chicago's winters are the worst due to the weather extremes - wind and snow. Toronto gets a bad blast of winter storms with plenty of snow but Buffalo has it even worse because they're on the south side of the lake. New York's winters are very temperate. They may get the odd noreaster, but with massive snowfalls come massive melting as the ocean keeps temperatures fairly steady and mild throughout the winter. While it can go from -10 to 10C in one day in Toronto or Chicago, such swings are uncommon in New York.

In terms of rare snowfall, *Vancouver* doesn't tend to get snowy winters, but it gets very rainy. However, with the weird weather these days they got a fairly nasty blast last winter.


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## LosAngelesSportsFan (Oct 20, 2004)

WANCH said:


> I would like to see pics cause I've never seen snow in LA. In fact I was in LA at one point during winter and never saw snow.


here are a couple from the area, around Malibu and West LA.










































and you can see this 45 minutes from Downtown LA


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## Jakes1 (Apr 28, 2006)

I love Argentina, and will definately visit again! Amazing architecture, people, music, food... Just adore the place.

Johannesburg (South Africa) had the first real snowfall since 1981, with more than 10cm! This was two weeks ago, but it was immense fun!


















The Johannesburg Zoo

















The Southern Suburbs had it the worst









The Northern Suburbs


















SAFA house - the soccer world cup will be taking place during this same time in 3years...


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## la bestia kuit (Aug 10, 2005)

snowfall over suburban trains BA!


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## futureproof (Nov 2, 2006)

what are the odds?

johannesburg, Buenos Aires and now La Paz


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## futureproof (Nov 2, 2006)

Such beatiful pictures of Buenos Aires, looks like christmas


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## chris_maiden (Dec 3, 2006)

*Buenos Aires*


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## Imperfect Ending (Apr 7, 2003)

Strange... we got snow in Los Angeles this year too!


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## LMCA1990 (Jun 18, 2005)

Last winter, Bogota's (Colombia) temperature dipped 20 centigree in a few hours at night, so many homeless died and many cultivations (mostly flowers) died.


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## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)

Wow you guys are lucky i wish we'd get some snow here in florida. Its funny with the people being happy because i remember in Dallas when it snowed people were outside enjoying it which is strange because people dont go outside much there just to their car.


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## Kelsen (Jul 29, 2006)

Buenos Aires looks so beautiful in the snow :yes:


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## tkr (Apr 3, 2005)

futureproof said:


> what are the odds?
> 
> johannesburg, Buenos Aires and now La Paz


Snow is not that uncommon in La Paz. I guess it gets more snow than any other latin american capital.


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Kenguy said:


> looks like some climate change is happening in the southern hemisphere. Recently there was snowfall in South Africa (Johannesburg). I dont know how frequently this happens.


Possibly, but you can never look at one random occasion of snow or exessive rain/heat as solid proof of climate change. Crazy things happen every year....


Cool pics though, I was down there in October and it was beautiful. Loved the city!

Funny how in Chicago that snow wouldn't even enter conversaion...it'd just pass as an afterthought in people's mind.


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## Sean in New Orleans (Apr 7, 2005)

How in the world did this happen? I thought we have been experiencing global warming???


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## Diboto (Oct 20, 2004)

Sean in New Orleans said:


> How in the world did this happen? I thought we have been experiencing global warming???


In any case, the reason why having snow in Buenos Aires is rare is because the city is next to a river called Rio de la Plata, which warms up the city's winter. 

However, Buenos Aires is located far south enough to have full seasons like many cities elsewhere.  Argentina, Uruguay and most of Chile are not tropical countries at all.


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## harsh1802 (Apr 17, 2006)

Sean in New Orleans said:


> How in the world did this happen? I thought we have been experiencing global warming???


:baaa: 

That is what the problem with people really is. They just don't know anything abt the effects of global warming. Global warming would result in more erratic and unusual climate changes......so it is not surprising that regions that experience less cold in winters might see severe cold and so on....


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## Xelebes (Apr 1, 2007)

TenRot said:


> That's crazy! I hope they enjoy it...it's small enough not to be a problem.
> 
> And here in the US, we're under a heat wave...at the opposite latitudes of the world.


Same here in western Canada. 5 days straight of 30+ weather! That hasn't happened for over 30 years!


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## Sean in New Orleans (Apr 7, 2005)

harsh1802 said:


> :baaa:
> 
> That is what the problem with people really is. They just don't know anything abt the effects of global warming. Global warming would result in more erratic and unusual climate changes......so it is not surprising that regions that experience less cold in winters might see severe cold and so on....


So, in other words we can look forward to more snow this winter, in the South, due to global warming? Is this what you are saying?


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## futureproof (Nov 2, 2006)

tkr said:


> Snow is not that uncommon in La Paz. I guess it gets more snow than any other latin american capital.


from the data collected from that city, it seldomly rains there in winter if never.

that´s why it is highly unlikely to see snow there


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