Chile Freezes Under Extreme Cold Alerts; Japan’s Iwate Mountains Shiver; CA Cold Records Pile Up; Europe’s Split June; + Solar Cycle 25 Is Slipping

CO2 does not selectively torch France, chill Russia, and stall the High Arctic melt season. Circulation does.

Chile Freezes Under Extreme Cold Alerts

The Dirección Meteorológica de Chile issued alerts and advisories for a run of “heladas intensas” — intense frosts — as high pressure drove temperatures sharply lower across much of country.

In Los Lagos, the Cordillera Austral and Patagonia Subandina already neared -10C (14F) on July 1, with deeper subzero cold on the way. In Aysén, the numbers have been harsher still: as a low as -15C (5F) here.

DMC readings for July 1 show anomalous cold across the central/south: Balmaceda down to -14C (6.8F), Villa O’Higgins to -8.2C (17.2F), Mirador Marchant -7.4C (18.7F), Futaleufú -6C (21.2F), Puerto Aysén -5.7C (21.7F), and Puerto Montt’s El Tepual airport at -3.6C (25.5F).

The cold reached well north, too. Around the Santiago basin and central valleys, Curacaví fell to an unusual -4.7C (23.5F), Chorombo Hacienda -4.3C (24.3F), Talagante -3.1C (26.4F), El Paico -2.4C (27.7F), and Pudahuel Santiago -2.4C (27.7F).

Across the Andes, Argentina was also under extreme-cold alerts, with the SMN warning covering at least 18 provinces on July 2. Uruguay, likewise, opened the month with widespread frost risk and forecast lows well below freezing.

South America has started July with frost alerts and a continent-wide polar push.

Australia’s Alps Turn White

Winter has finally bitten in the Australian Alps.

Mount Hotham woke Thursday to at least 7 cm (2.8 inches) of fresh snow after a heavy overnight burst (video below). Falls Creek and Perisher reported similar amounts on the snowstake, with a dusting through the valley and more on the way.

Australia’s alpine season had limped into July almost bare.

Now the pattern has flipped.

Hotham’s forecast calls for snow, gale-force winds and freezing daytime highs, with Friday on course to drop another 20 cm (8 inches). Falls Creek and Perisher are looking at a similar Friday dumping, with BOM warning of “very high snow chances.”

The Aussie Alps are finally waking up — the next 24-48 hours could deliver proper base-building accumulations.

Japan’s Iwate Shivers

In the highlands of Iwate, the month of July has opened cold enough to rewrite local weather books.