By Eric Leister, Meteorologist
August 5,2015; 8:34PM,EDT
After months of below-normal rainfall, Santiago, Chile, will finally receive several days of moderate to heavy rainfall lasting into this weekend as a pair of potent storm systems move into central Chile.
With months of drier-than-normal conditions, previous light rainfall events over the past two weeks did little to dent the overall drought.
While any rainfall is beneficial, the upcoming stormy weather could provide the most rainfall some parts of central Chile have seen in recent years.
While lower elevations receive beneficial rainfall, the Andes will pick up significant snowfall, making for dangerous travel but also boosting the snow pack at the region's many ski resorts.
"Indications suggest that 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) of rain is expected for central Chile, including Santiago," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller. Even greater rainfall is possible in some areas which could receive a month's worth of rainfall in a matter of days.
This amount would be beneficial for drought relief, but there could still be some localized flooding in areas that get the heaviest rainfall.
Even the parched Atacama region of northern Chile could get some rainfall on Saturday and Sunday. While the heaviest rainfall will remain to the south, 12-25 mm (0.50-1.00 inch) of rain could fall in Copiapo. This amount of rainfall would surpass the yearly average for the region which is only 25 mm (1 inch).
One place that will again receive significant precipitation from these storms is the Andes.
The mountains between La Serena and Puerto Montt will receive copious amounts of moisture from these systems. Several inches of moisture will produce a meter (3 feet) or more of snow in the highest terrain.
Following the final push of rain into Chile for the end of next week, the stormy weather will set its sights on north-central Argentina and southern Uruguay from Friday into early next week.
Rounds of rain will enhance the threat for flooding as the hardest hit areas will receive 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) of rain. Areas that could get flooding rainfall include Cordoba, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and Rosario.
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Santiago will likely settle back into a drier pattern following the upcoming rain. This is a trend that is all too familiar across central Chile.
"Santiago hasn't had above-normal yearly rainfall since 2002," Miller said. "Some years were near normal, but Santiago has continued to see rainfall well below average since 2006 ."
The extended dry weather has prompted some regions of Chile to contemplate water rationing, according to La Tercera. Executives stated that the rationing would depend on how the weather continues over the next month or so, but that some sort of conservation is likely.
Meteorologist Courtney Spamer contributed to this story.
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