science 🌨️ Snow hits one of Earth's driest deserts
Winter storms swept across northern Chile in August 2026, bringing unexpected snow to parts of the Atacama Desert. This event was documented by NASA satellites, showing snow spreading from the Andes towards the Pacific coast. A second storm on August 19 showed snow reaching near Antofagasta, while Taltal saw nearly 40mm of rain in three days. Atmospheric scientist René Garreaud linked this to a cutoff low developing under unusual circumstances. The strengthening El Niño is cited as a backdrop making this unusually wet winter possible. 🌨️