The weather in the Andes, in the winter, could easily called dramatic. You should be prepared to see everything, except bitter cold. It never gets much below -15ºC here–and that's pretty rare.
Storms roll in periodically from the west. These storms pick up moisture and energy from the Pacific Ocean and can be powerful when they hit the Andes. They can last for days and at times they can dump meters of snow in the mountains. Extremely strong winds are common.
The wind is the most distinguishing feature of the weather in the Andes. It can be violent. It is rarely truly calm, although it does happen every now and then.
Between storms, during high pressure, the temperatures typically rise and it can feel hot while in the mountains.
How do you dress for this?
Always be prepared for the wind! I wear some sort of wind blocking layer about 90% of the time in the mountains, even when it's warm and sunny. It's rarely bitterly cold, so insulation layers like puffy jackets can be thinner. There's no need for huge, expedition weight down jackets here. Having a waterproof jacket is important, but skiing in the rain is rare, as most of the skiing is above tree line and it's hard to spend too much time out there during the storms. I recommend more light layers rather than fewer heavy layers. It can be warm at times.
Storms roll in periodically from the west. These storms pick up moisture and energy from the Pacific Ocean and can be powerful when they hit the Andes. They can last for days and at times they can dump meters of snow in the mountains. Extremely strong winds are common.
The wind is the most distinguishing feature of the weather in the Andes. It can be violent. It is rarely truly calm, although it does happen every now and then.
Between storms, during high pressure, the temperatures typically rise and it can feel hot while in the mountains.
How do you dress for this?
Always be prepared for the wind! I wear some sort of wind blocking layer about 90% of the time in the mountains, even when it's warm and sunny. It's rarely bitterly cold, so insulation layers like puffy jackets can be thinner. There's no need for huge, expedition weight down jackets here. Having a waterproof jacket is important, but skiing in the rain is rare, as most of the skiing is above tree line and it's hard to spend too much time out there during the storms. I recommend more light layers rather than fewer heavy layers. It can be warm at times.
