A snow storm hit different towns in the Andes area in the last few hours , where the intensity of the storm caused trees to fall and blackouts due to the collapse of power lines. The main problems were recorded in Esquel and Trevelin , where the amount of accumulated snow exceeded 50 centimeters . , according to local media. Other affected cities were Lago Puelo, El Bolsón, Epuyén, El Hoyo and El Maitén.

The meteorological phenomenon, which some specialists described as historic, generated several incidents throughout the day yesterday. In the early hours of this Saturday, the accumulation of snow on the roof caused the collapse of the El Hoyo municipal gym . Meanwhile, in the La Hoya ski center, in Chubut, a group of people was stranded , forcing the Municipal Civil Protection, Gendarmerie and Provincial Highway personnel to work to clear the path to the hill and rescue them.

Such was the intensity of the storm that the municipality of Lago Puelo declared a Climate Emergency for 90 days due to the rainfall and snowfall records. Meanwhile, yesterday the Army lent its facilities to accommodate people who were in transit and whose groups could not continue traveling, in addition to bringing food to the respective shelters, according to the ADN Sur portal .

Forecast

According to the National Weather Service , Chubut will continue to be affected “by snowfalls of varying intensity, some locally strong” this Saturday. The central and northern areas of the province remain on yellow alert and they warned that “ the accumulated snow can reach between 20 and 45 centimeters , with maximums that could be locally higher. The occurrence of precipitation in the form of rain and snow in the lower areas is not ruled out.

For its part, there is also an alert for snowfall in the mountainous area of ​​​​Río Negro and south of Neuquén , while in the north of this province the alert level is higher: it rises to “orange”. In its report on the state of routes, National Roads indicated that Route 40, between El Bolsón and Villa Mascardi, is passable but with extreme caution , since the road is wet, with sleet and ice sectors.

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