The weather conditions give no respite in the Patagoniawith low temperatures, heavy snowfall and strong winds. On the third consecutive day of alertscomplications continue on the routes and borders.
Last week some areas of the province of Chubut They recorded up to 2 meters of accumulated snow. However, conditions improved towards Sunday, but last Monday the National Meteorological Service (SMN) issued new alerts, which were renewed on Tuesday and some of them remain in force this Wednesday.
According to the projections of the meteorological entity, for today, a orange alert for snowfall in the mountainous area of southern Neuquen and the entire province of Black river, where strong and persistent phenomena are expected. According to estimates, they predict that accumulated snow values will vary between 40 and 60 cm.
Meanwhile, in the mountain region of Futaleufú, Languiñeo, Tehuelches and Cushamen, Chubut, significant snowfall is expected, so a yellow level warning is in effect, with a projected cumulative total of between 30 and 50 cm of snow. In low areas, precipitation could come in the form of rain, mixed with snow.
At the same time, an orange alert is active for winds for almost the entire province of Neuquén, where gusts are expected to exceed 120 kilometers per hour (km/h). In the high mountain area, this could be combined with snowfall, so visibility will decrease considerably.
On the other hand, the entire province of Río Negro, part of the territory of Chubut, as well as the south of Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires are under a yellow alert by strong winds. In this sense, winds are expected to have a speed of between 45 and 60 km/h, while gusts could reach 100 km/h.
The extreme cold wave continues to make itself felt in Santa Cruz, where a yellow level warning applies due to low temperatures. In line with the forecast for today, the minimum would be around 6° below zero.
In this context, the main accesses and border crossings are affected by bad weather conditions. In the case of Chubut, Route 3 between Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia will remain closed until the snow accumulated on the road can be removed. In turn, the trucks that were stranded during the afternoon of Tuesday must be removed, according to information from the local media. Day Diary. The situation began to normalize during the early morning.
Beyond the Patagonian region, weather conditions also affect the Christ the Redeemer border crossing in Mendoza, which remains closed, so there are 950 trucks waiting in the high mountains to be able to cross into Chile. In two weeks, around 72 drivers had to be treated by the staff of the Chrabalowski Hospital, due to the conditions to which they are exposed. Twelve of them were transferred to receive treatment, while two were hospitalized, in line with what was published by MDZ.
These weather conditions have been hitting Patagonia for days and the consequences are being felt in the most affected regions. In the Tres Cerros de Santa Cruz area, three young people, between 19 and 25 years old, died from carbon monoxide inhalation in the midst of the snow storm and extreme cold.
The incident occurred on Monday night in a rural outpost, called El Toro, where two employees of the establishment found the young people dead. Days before, in Caleta Oliviaanother death was recorded as a result of the low temperatures: a man died of hypothermia during the weekend. The neighbors of the area were the ones who found him dead in an open field.
Meanwhile, the authorities are looking for a 55-year-old rural laborer who disappeared during the storm last week in Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut. The man, identified as Luis Alberto Sea55 years old, left for a ranch located on Route 54 last Monday.
Earlier this week, the white Toyota Hilux truck, which belonged to Sea, was found in the Holdich area, a region that is on the border between Chubut and Santa Cruz. The vehicle was completely covered in snow, but no trace of the man was found.
