Buenos Aires has first snow since 1918

[Urederra]

The Casa Rosada, the Argentinian president's "Pink House", verged on turning white overnight after Buenos Aires was blanketed in snow for the first time in nearly 90 years.
Children threw snowballs while photographers tried to capture the falling flakes as a party atmosphere descended on the city. Crowds gathered at the Obelisk monument in central Buenos Aires, the traditional focal point for Argentinian celebrations and protests.

"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.

The 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. Motorists honked horns, some with small snowmen on their car bonnets.

The conditions led to the deaths of three people and the coastal city's domestic airport, Aeroparque, was closed while there were delays to flights at the international airport, Ezeiza.

A government minister, Alberto Fernández, called on people to conserve energy and said gas exports to Chile would be reduced while the cold weather continued, La Nación newspaper reported.

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 Nación newspaper. "It is very difficult to predict."

The extreme weather was triggered by a front of Antarctic air that has pushed north and caused temperatures to plummet in many regions. The Patagonian ski resort town of Bariloche recorded its lowest temperatures in 44 years and left many homes without water.

Lakes froze over in Río Negro province as temperatures reached minus 32C, Clarín newspaper reported, and 500 travellers were forced to take refuge in Río Cuarto after roads were closed.

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.

(bolding mine)

Not enough SUVs crossing the Pampa? Is this just because Gore selected Rio De Janeiro over Buenos Aires to celebraty his Live Earth concerts?

C'mon Juana... stop playing with the snow and come back home.

Linkey

 

[Swedishguy]

Hehe, getting excited over some snow. Up here I haven't noticed any temperature drop.

 

[Ansar]

Awesome!

If only something like this happened in FL...

 

[angeleyes]

I'm jealous!

 

[Godwynn]

Must be that global warming I keep hearing about.

 

[luiz]

I'm going there next week, hope it keeps snowing.

 

[civverguy]

I wish Fremont CA had snow.

 

[sonorakitch]

That would have been so awesome had it snowed on LiveEarth festivities.

*remembers hilarious South Park episode*

~Chris

 

[GenMarshall]

The world has been turned upside down.

 

[skadistic]

That would have been so awesome had it snowed on LiveEarth festivities.

*remembers hilarious South Park episode*

~Chris

That would have been great. Like when Gore was ranting about global warming in NYC on the coldest day in years.

 

[White Elk]

And people say nothings different in our climate. Who cares if humans actually affect global climate on the global scale. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt the effects of our pollution on our local climates. And we wonder finally about our effects on the global climate. Should really be obvious that changed weather patterns due to changing local environments will have at least some minor effect on neighboring environments. So it stands to reason that rapid changes to multiple locals within a given region will affect patterns noticeably. And we know how the ocean currents affect workd climate and we know how local climates affect ocean currents. Is it no surprise to find 10 years worth of oddities? Parts of the US are subject to seven years worth of drought conditions. This current heat wave in the US could spell some serious disaster. Especially as our national guard is off defending a failed presidential policy. Significant portions of the country are a "tinderbox" waiting to lit. I don't think this fire season will be our worst in the next years to come. But I do think this season is a warning of things to come. And this fire season will not be easy to deal with.

btw my region had more snow in one year than we have had in the last seven years. I find this of grave concern when placed next to the weather anomalies of other parts of this world. my region, and my country. I have been through fire storms that encircled my town. President Clinton even flew out to my town of a couple thousand in the worst of that season. We had fires all around us. The winter before we had unseasonably late heavy snow which spurred the extra growth in the foothills and mountains. Then the drought resumed and all that extra fuel was just waiting for the weather patterns that set off the dry lightning storms which set my state afire. This phenominia appears to be growing and the droughts are prolonged. Don't Americans remember the period of the dust bowl which devastated my countries economy and then dominoed to the world? Why not do ALL that we can to reduce the effects of local climate change which impacts regional change which impacts global change.

 

[bhsup]

And people say nothings different in our climate.

Was humanity responsible in 1918 for the snow then?

 

[sonorakitch]

http://allabout-sp.net/?p=season9/902

Hahahahahaha...I had to find it for you...

~Chris

 

[TheBladeRoden]

Haha, we get snows all the time! *bogarts all the snow like Scrooge McDuck*

 

[Rossiya]

Must be that global warming I keep hearing about.

Keep it up!

 

[Leonel]

Oh no! It's going to be like that movie the Day After Tomorrow! RUN, BUENOS ARIES!

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Are you Floridians and Brazilians on crack? Snow isn't fun! Snow is cold and wet and ruins most of the year!

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Hehe, getting excited over some snow. Up here I haven't noticed any temperature drop.

Southern hemisphere...it's winter for them.

 

[bhsup]

Are you Floridians and Brazilians on crack? Snow isn't fun! Snow is cold and wet and ruins most of the year!

It's comments like that which make it abundantly clear that you Canadians don't deserve your own country and should be absorbed into the USA. Such a wonderous gift of cold and snow and you resent it?! I'll happily trade you Calgary for...hrm...Jackson, MS.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

Southern hemisphere...it's winter for them.

Precisely. If these philistines would read a book, they'd know that "global warming" is more accurately termed climate change and involves more extreme weather. Far colder and stormier winters, far hotter summers.

Seriously, people. Google is your friend. Why don't you ever call him?