Rare Snow Falls in Chile's Atacama Desert, One of World's Driest Places

August 27,2013




 

Snow fell on the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is considered one of the driest places on earth. (Neleman Initiative, LLC)

 SANTIAGO, Chile  -- A rare snowfall in Chile's Atacama desert has delighted visitors to one of the world's driest areas.
Residents of San Pedro de Atacama say the weekend snow was the heaviest in three decades for the desert city, which is 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) north of the capital, Santiago.
(MORE: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Forecast)
But local officials say they are concerned the snow and rain that fell over the weekend could cause some rivers to flood as has happened in the past.
The national tourism office says the road to San Pedro de Atacama was temporarily blocked due to the