Snow does fall in Brazil, despite the nation being largely associated with tropical climates and the Amazon rainforest. This rare phenomenon is geographically isolated, primarily occurring in the country’s southernmost region. This occurrence is a direct result of a specific combination of geography and powerful atmospheric events that manage to overcome generally warm conditions. A small part of Brazil lies outside the tropics, allowing for winter weather conditions that can produce solid precipitation.
Where Snowfall Occurs
Snowfall in Brazil is almost exclusively concentrated in the Southern Region (Região Sul), which includes the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. Within these states, the phenomenon is restricted to high-altitude areas and plateaus where temperatures can drop low enough. These elevated regions, such as the Serra Catarinense and Serra Gaúcha, typically sit between 900 and 1,800 meters above sea level.
The city of São Joaquim in Santa Catarina records the most snow days annually, making it a destination for visitors. Other high-altitude towns that regularly experience snow flurries include Urupema, Urubici, Bom Jesus, and São José dos Ausentes. This localized occurrence demonstrates that altitude plays a more determining role than latitude in this part of South America.
The Meteorological Conditions Required
The primary driver for snow in Brazil is the deep intrusion of cold fronts originating from the Antarctic, known as polar air masses. These powerful masses of frigid air travel northward, eventually reaching the southern Brazilian states, dramatically lowering the ambient temperature. When these cold air masses are strong enough to penetrate the continent, they combine with moisture-laden air from the Atlantic Ocean.
The high altitude of the southern plateaus is essential because it is where the air temperature drops below the freezing point of zero degrees Celsius, allowing water vapor to turn into ice crystals. For snow to reach the ground, the entire column of air from the cloud base to the surface must remain at or below freezing.
In many instances, the cold snap is amplified by the presence of an extratropical cyclone tracking across the South Atlantic, which helps pull the frigid air mass further inland and concentrates the moisture. Without this specific alignment of a strong Antarctic air mass, sufficient moisture, and high elevation, the precipitation would simply fall as cold rain or sleet.
Frequency and Historical Context
Snowfall in Brazil is a regular, though highly localized, winter event, occurring almost every year in the high-altitude areas of the South Region during June, July, and August. Most occurrences are light flurries that result in a dusting, melting quickly. Significant accumulation is far less common and relies on an exceptionally strong and sustained polar air mass.
The historical record features a number of notable and widespread snowfall events. The most extreme snowfall ever recorded occurred in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, on August 7, 1879, where accumulations surpassed two meters. More recently, an intense cold wave in July 2013 brought snow to over 140 municipalities across the southern states, even reaching the capital of Paraná, Curitiba, for the first time in 38 years.
The year 1975 also stands out, marked by a severe cold wave that caused snow to fall in numerous low-altitude cities across the south. While São Joaquim is the town with the most frequent snow days, these major historical events demonstrate the power of Antarctic air masses to push the phenomenon well beyond its usual high-altitude boundaries.