Last Updated on February 15, 2025
Contrary to what many foreigners might assume, Bolivia isn’t just a high-altitude, Altiplanic country. It has three very distinct climate zones, and only in one of them does it actually snow regularly. In the western Altiplanic region, at high elevations, snowfall is quite common, especially in the middle of the year. However, other regions of Bolivia may experience brief, infrequent snowfall.
Yes, it snows in Bolivia, but almost all snowfall occurs in the Altiplanic West, where La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí are located. You can expect between 3 and 20 days of snow in this region, all during winter. Additionally, dangerous hailstorms occur across Bolivian cities during the summer.
We are Bolivian citizens. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about whether it snows in Bolivia and where, with comprehensive details about these events. You’ll also learn about the dangerous hailstorms that typically occur in the summer across different cities in the country.
Yes, It Snows in Some Parts of Bolivia
Yes, it snows in Bolivia, but the amount of snowfall varies significantly depending on the climate zone:
- The Altiplanic West
- The temperate Center.
- The tropical East.
1) The Altiplanic Cold West
In the Altiplanic West of Bolivia, which is at a very high elevation (over 13,000 ft), snowfall is quite common, *primarily during winter and also at the end of autumn*. The Andes Mountains are also located here, with some peaks reaching 20,000 ft. In these mountains, snowfall is almost constant, even in summer and spring.
It’s rare to see snow from September to March in this region of Bolivia (except in the Andes Mountains), but there will be many days with snow between May and August (during winter). La Paz, Oruro, Potosí, and El Alto are cities located in this part of the country, so they experience this snowfall when it occurs. However, La Paz receives less snow because it’s at a lower altitude.
Later in this article, we’ll discuss in more detail how much it snows in each Bolivian city.
2) The Hilly, Temperate Center
Snowfall is extremely rare in the hilly and temperate central region of Bolivia. In this century, there have been only a few reports of snow in cities like Cochabamba, Sucre, or Tarija. *Instead, what’s common is hail*, which typically occurs in the spring and summer.
Hail in these cities can sometimes even trigger flooding, turning the main streets into rivers and alarming residents. *Keep in mind that hailstorms occur between December and March* (during summer and at the end of spring) in this region of Bolivia, not in winter. As mentioned earlier, snow is almost unheard of in this region.
3) The Amazonian Tropical East
Snow in the tropical east of Bolivia, part of which belongs to the Amazon, *simply doesn’t occur*. There hasn’t been a single report of snow in cities like Santa Cruz, Trinidad, or Cobija in recent history.
Remember that this is a tropical region, at an altitude of around 1,000 ft, and also very humid and hot. Therefore, snow is extremely unlikely.
Instead, what’s likely to happen in this hot and humid region is hail during the summer, between December and March. Sometimes, hailstorms occur alongside strong winds, even reaching 40 miles per hour. It’s expected that there will be one or two hail events in the tropical East in most years, but in others, none will occur.
How Much Does It Snow in Bolivia?
When it snows, primarily in the western part of Bolivia, where there’s an alpine, dry climate, *it’s usually light snow*. Even in winter, you won’t find snowfall exceeding 5 to 15 inches in any inhabited area of this region. Of course, in the Andes Mountains, snowfall is almost constant, but this mountain range cannot support human habitation.
In areas with significant populations, such as cities like La Paz, Potosí, or rural Altiplanic areas and towns, almost all snowfall events will be light and *won’t involve more than 15 inches of snow per event*.
Also, when it snows in western Bolivia, it typically lasts only a few hours, perhaps from 1 to 3 hours, and the snow mostly occurs at night rather than during the day. Therefore, in many cases, you’ll wake up to a layer of snow outside in this region during winter.
In other regions of Bolivia, snowfall is extremely unlikely. There have been fewer than 10 reported snow events in the last 50 years in both the central and eastern regions of Bolivia. Instead, as mentioned before, hail is quite common. It occurs in some years but not others, mostly between December and March in these regions.
Does it Snow in Bolivia’s Principal Cities?
La Paz
There are between 3 and 10 snow events in the city each year, most occurring in winter and at the end of fall (between May and August). Almost always, snow episodes are very light and don’t involve more than 5 inches of accumulation. In contrast, hailstorms occur every year in summer and can often be dangerous.
Hailstorms in La Paz are sometimes threatening and can pose risks to people on the streets, as they can transform streets into raging rivers within minutes. Hailstorms in the city occur between December and March.
When heavy hail occurs in La Paz, always seek shelter in an elevated and secure location.
We have a comprehensive guide on how many days it snows in La Paz, with detailed information about when it occurs, how much snow to expect, and also about the dangerous hailstorms in the city. You can find it here: How many days does it snow in La Paz? All the numbers and facts.
El Alto
In this city, which is adjacent to La Paz but at a higher elevation, snowfall events are more common. You can expect between 10 and 20 snowy days here. Most of the time, snow will occur at night, before people wake up. However, it won’t pose any significant risk, and most of the time, it won’t exceed 15 inches in thickness.
Snowfall in El Alto occurs almost exclusively in winter and at the end of fall, between May and August, with greater frequency between June and July, which, incidentally, are the coldest months in La Paz. Hail also occurs between December and March (in summer) in the city, but it’s not typically very dangerous.
Cochabamba
Snow events in this city, which has a mild climate, rarely occur. Perhaps once a decade, you might encounter a snow event in winter. Furthermore, this snow event will only involve 2 to 5 inches of snow in the most extreme cases. What occurs more frequently in the city, in some years, is hail during the summer, between December and March, and it can sometimes be overwhelming.
Santa Cruz
Based on climate data from at least the past 50 years, we can assume that it will never snow in Santa Cruz. There isn’t a single report of a snowfall event in this city in recent history, so it’s extremely unlikely to happen.
Instead, what frequently occurs in this city, as in most parts of Bolivia, are intense hailstorms during some summers, between December and March. In this city, these hailstorms can also become threatening, involving winds of up to 40 mph, triggering urban flooding, damaging buildings, and uprooting trees. Always take appropriate precautions.
Oruro
This is a city where snow is quite common. You can expect between 5 and 15 snow events between May and August each year. This means that snow only occurs during winter in the city of Oruro. When it does happen, it’s not dangerous, as snowfall will only reach up to 15 inches in thickness and last a few hours in the worst-case scenarios.
Hail also occurs in this city between December and March, but it usually doesn’t involve any major problems, with some flooded streets and avenues being the worst outcome of these hail events.
It’s worth noting that snow events don’t occur during Oruro’s Carnival because this festival takes place at the end of summer. What you’ll experience during this time are many cloudy days with constant rain, and also a low probability of a hail event.
Potosí
Snow is also quite common in Potosí, with 3 to 10 snowfall events each winter and at the end of fall (from May to August). Most of the time, these snow events occur at night, lasting between one and three hours and involving 5 to 15 inches of snow.
Hail also occurs in Potosí, but to a lesser extent and with less danger than in other cities like La Paz or Sucre. Hail in this city might occur once or a few times each year between December and March and rarely causes any significant problems.
It’s worth mentioning that in Uyuni’s Salt Flats, snowfall can also occur a few times during the winter, and sometimes hail occurs in the summer. When it snows in this location, temperatures drop to freezing levels, and for most of the winter, you’ll experience an alpine climate there.
Sucre
Snow is quite rare in Sucre. There has only been one reported snowfall event in the city in the last 50 years. In the worst-case scenario, you might experience one snow event once a decade in this city. This snow event occurred in August 2018 and was very light.
What happens more frequently are hailstorms in the summer, between December and March. These events can pose a significant risk, even *life-threatening situations*, to the city’s residents, triggering floods and transforming streets into turbulent, raging rivers. The last hailstorm killed four people in Sucre, as you can see in the following article (Translated: Link).
Always be cautious when it hails in Sucre; find an elevated place to protect yourself.
Tarija
Tarija is another Bolivian city with a temperate climate, and you might expect one snow episode to occur there once a decade. In 2021, it snowed in the city *after 40 years*, but the snowfall that day was very light, without causing any issues.
Instead, what happens more frequently, perhaps once a year, are hailstorms in the summer, from December to March. These hailstorms can be quite heavy, resulting in 20 to 60 inches of snow accumulation in just two hours, but they are not as dangerous as in other cities like La Paz and Sucre. Nevertheless, you should be cautious during these hailstorms and find an elevated place to protect yourself.
Trinidad
Like other tropical cities, Trinidad has no record of a single snow event in recent history, so we can assume that it will never snow in Trinidad. Snow is highly unlikely to occur here because Trinidad is situated on Amazonian tropical land.
What sometimes occurs instead is hail in Trinidad, perhaps in some years you’ll experience hail between September and December (spring). These hailstorms are accompanied by strong winds that can reach 40 miles per hour. These hail events can be risky in the city, as they can damage houses, trigger floods, etc. Therefore, when this happens, find a suitable location to protect yourself.
Cobija
Cobija is another tropical city located right within the Amazon. There hasn’t been a single report of snow there in recent history either. Therefore, we can assume that snow will never occur in this city. As you may know, snow is extremely unlikely in Amazonian regions. Also, there has been one report of hail in this city 20 years ago, so hailstorms are also very unlikely to occur here.
Regions of Bolivia Where Snow Will Never Occur
As we just mentioned, there are regions of Bolivia where you’ll never see any snow events:
- In the tropical east of the country. Not a single snow event has been reported in recent history in cities like Santa Cruz, Trinidad, and Cobija.
- In the central hilly corridor of the country. Some very light snow events have been reported once a decade or less in cities like Cochabamba, Sucre, and Tarija.
Conclusions:
In this article, you’ve learned all the details about snow events in Bolivia. You’ve seen that snow is quite common in the Altiplanic West, but it never occurs in the tropical East. Also, in Bolivia’s central hilly and mild corridor, which runs from north to south, you’ll find snow perhaps once a decade.
You’ve also learned that in La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, and Potosí, snow events are quite common, occurring between 3 and 20 times in winter each year. On the other hand, in Cochabamba, Sucre, and Tarija, a snow event might happen once a decade. Also, in Santa Cruz, Trinidad, and Cobija, snow will never occur.
Finally, you’ve seen the dangers associated with hailstorms in the country. In the cities of La Paz and Sucre, hailstorms are very risky, even involving loss of life. Also, in tropical cities like Santa Cruz and Trinidad, hailstorms can damage houses, trigger floods, and be dangerous. Hail occurs in summer, from December to March; always find a highly elevated place to protect yourself.
We hope this information has been helpful. If you’d like to know every detail about the climate in Bolivia, including the locations where it typically snows, please visit our definitive guide here: How is the climate in Bolivia? A complete overview.
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