Atacama Desert Gets Snow Twice In August, Halts Telescopes
Taltal collected nearly 40 millimeters of rain in three days, ten times its annual average, spurring mudflows that damaged homes.
- Landsat and Terra satellites captured two separate storms, August 6-14 and mid-to-late August 2026.
- The second, wider storm reached from the Andes to near the Pacific coast by August 19.
- The ALMA radio telescope on the Chajnantor plateau suspended operations as snow piled up.
Why it matters: Ten times a town's yearly rainfall falling in three days needs no debate, only the record.