Winter continues to have a firm grip on the Andes. There has been repeated heavy snowfall there over the past few weeks.

The heavy snowfall is causing a high risk of avalanches and road closures in many places.

Winter is set to intensify again over the coming days. At the highest altitudes, over a metre of fresh snow could accumulate. On top of that, there will be strong to gale-force westerly winds in places – not ideal conditions in the mountains.

This climatic phenomenon is frequently mentioned in this context. In El Niño years, the high-pressure system over the Pacific is often less pronounced.

As a result, milder and more humid air is more frequently drawn in along the west coast of South America and into the Andes. This leads to heavy rainfall in some areas – with plenty of snow at higher altitudes.