Frigid polar air brings very rare snowfall, icy rains to southern Brazil
A fierce cold snap brought rare snow, icy rain, and strong winds to parts of southern Brazil on July 29 and 30, 2021. The event comes after several waves of destructive frost since mid-June.
According to weather specialists at Somar Meteorologia, at least 40 cities in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul saw ice while 30 got snow, including Pelotas, São Francisco de Paula, Gramado, Carlos Barbosa, Bagé, Herval, Piratini, Caxias do Sul, Marau, and Farroupilha.
Meteorologists say the strange phenomenon in Brazil is happening all the more often, especially in areas that are between 900 and 1 900 meters (2 900 and 6 200 feet) above sea level.
'I am 62 years old and had never seen the snow, you know? To see nature's beauty is something indescribable,' said truck driver Iodor Goncalves Marques in Cambara do Sul, a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul state, speaking to TV Globo network 2/5 pic.twitter.com/1aTE0TXFX1
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) July 30, 2021
After hitting Rio Grande do Sul, polar air continued moving upwards toward the Sao Paolo metropolis and Minas Gerais — states known for their vast agricultural fields.
After several waves of destructive frost since mid-June, farmers fear that what's left of essential export crops will suffer yet more damage.
According to Marco Antonio dos Santos from weather consultancy firm Rural Clima, international prices for coffee and sugar have already soared due to unusually cold weather in Brazil.
The last time a blizzard hit Brazil was back in 1957 when 1.3 m (4.3 feet) of snow fell in the state of Santa Catarina.
The polar air mass should move over Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, major producers of sugar, citrus and coffee, on Friday, bringing freezing temperatures https://t.co/YbWlHm7B7E 5/5
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) July 30, 2021
Friday, July 30 was forecast to be the country's coldest day of the year.
Temperatures are expected to warm up with the start of August.
Featured image credit: GFS, TropicalTidbits
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