This summer ski destination in the Andes isn’t getting enough snow

Surrounded by the snow-capped Andes in winter, classic postcard images of Chile’s capital Santiago now look like pictures from the past.

The drought that has gripped the country for years has led to snow shortages so severe that the main ski resorts in the metropolitan area have been forced to suspend the use of up to 90% of their slopes, according to the Association of Chilean Ski Resorts (ACESKI).

Officials warn that in the long run, the region may need to find other ways to encourage tourists to spend their money, given that climate change is at least partly to blame.

This country in the southern hemisphere, where winter months occur from June to August, has long been a favorite of US tourists looking for a place to ski in the North American summer. And this has proven to be profitable. According to ACESKI, in 2025, ski resorts in the region welcomed more than 1,240,000 skiers; this had a direct economic impact of US$283 million; 228 million US dollars of this came from foreign tourists.

But its reputation is in danger of melting down due to lack of snow.

“This is not normal. We are so far behind,” Arnaldo Zúñiga, a meteorologist and spokesman for the Chilean Meteorological Department (DMC), told CNN. During the last snowfall on June 21, there were only 24 centimeters of snow, an almost 60% shortfall from “a normal year in the mountains,” Zúñiga said.

“Unfortunately, trends indicating climate change show that we are indeed heading towards a decrease in precipitation. If it rains less, it also snows less.” he warned.

In a good year the slopes would no longer be closed. Some rinks have instead resorted to creating artificial snow, while hotels and restaurants are doing their best to remain optimistic.

“Over the last 15 years we have invested in profit-making systems and technologies,” said ACESKI president Michael Leatherbee. “You can take ski lessons, ride the panoramic chairlift, go to a restaurant halfway up the mountain. Everything that’s normally offered in the winter, you can do today in smaller quantities.”

Chilean officials are now trying to move towards what Chilean Tourism Undersecretary María Paz Lagos describes as “all-season tourism with year-round activity in the mountains.” Such activities may include nature tours, walks, wellness-related activities and culinary events; None of these are based on profit.

“The ski season alone employs approximately 18,000 people, and we want the contribution to the development of the regions to continue to increase,” he said.

There are some reasons for hope in the nearer future. The Bureau of Meteorology says a front from the south this weekend could bring some snow to at least some of these mountains.

“This front starts on Sunday and is colder. I think we can have high hopes that although it may rain initially, it may snow later on in the higher sectors, above 2,500 metres,” says Zúñiga.

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