Chile’s Valle Nevado ski area made history today, announcing it’ll remain open through Nov. 8 this season. The November Valle Nevado closing marks the latest since it started spinning lifts in 1988.
The late close is possible thanks to an above-average snow year in the Andes, with Valle Nevado collecting 17 feet of snowfall during the 2026 Southern Hemisphere winter. A storm earlier this week added 42.5 inches to that total at Valle Nevado. To the North, Ski Portillo reported 60 inches of fresh snow.
This isn’t Valle Nevado’s first season extension. The resort traditionally closes between mid-September and mid-October, but was extended to Oct. 18 back in August. November is uncharted territory, however, and means that, if it holds, Valle Nevado will close on the weekend that several North American resorts open, including Breckenridge and Copper Mountain.
“This has been an extraordinary season for Valle Nevado, and receiving more than three and a half feet of snow in October is an incredible way to keep it going,” said Dominique Rudloff, general manager of Valle Nevado. “We opened on June 19, and operating through November 8 will give us 143 days of skiing. It is unprecedented for Valle Nevado to remain open this late in the year.”
Valle Nevado said this week’s storm pushed the season total to 271.5 inches for the season. The average annual snowfall usually arrives in large bursts like this week’s, and the resort averages 230 inches of annual snowfall.
What About Other South American Resorts?
The latest storm favored Santiago resorts such as Valle Nevado and adjacent La Parva, as well as those to the North such as Ski Portillo, which posted 5 feet in a few days. Southern Chile wasn’t as favored with OpenSnow reporting an unofficial 25 inches over the last 5 days for Nevados de Chillan, which closed on Sept. 20.
Portillo previously extended their season to Oct. 11, but when we reached out to resort officials, they hadn’t decided if a further season extension was possible. Historic snowfall at Portillo this season puts their season total at 475 inches, which is nearly double their annual average. A huge July storm closed the highway to Portillo for several weeks.
Is It Worth a Late-Season Trip?
August is traditionally the peak time for international ski trips to Chile, but the impressive snow totals and unprecedented opportunity to ride the lifts at Valle Nevado in November will have North American skiers considering chasing spring skiing during our fall.
The challenge for out-of-towners, however, is that Valle Nevado’s late-season operations will be geared toward day visitors, with the primary on-mountain lodging closed for the season. If you decide to travel anyway, consider making day trips from Santiago or looking for lodging in nearby Farrelones. There are also some privately owned short-term rentals available.
