Parts of Mexico City, the México state and Michoacán saw snowfall on Saturday thanks to cold front 35.
In Mexico City, the snow affected high-altitude areas in the boroughs of Tláhuac, Tlalpan, Milpa Alta and Cuajimalpa. Images circulating on social media show forests, roads and mountains entirely covered by a dense white layer of snow, including national parks El Desierto de los Leones in Cuajimalpa and El Ajusco in Tlalpan.
#Video | No solo cayó #nieve en La Marquesa y El Ajusco, el Paso de Cortés también se tapizó de blanco este sábado☃️
📹: @riva_leo pic.twitter.com/G1XGSLN0ko— Diario de México (@ddmexico) February 17, 2024
Snow also fell on the popular recreation area La Marquesa in Ocoyoc, México state, including the Mexico-Toluca highway.
“This is not Canada,” some users on social media wrote when sharing images of the snowy landscapes.
Due to the heavy snowfall, the High Mountain Police of México state closed access to the Nevado de Toluca volcano, which is popular this time of year among climbers and hikers.
The high forests of Michoacán, home to the Monarch sanctuary of Angangueo, were also affected by snow. According to Michoacán’s Civil Protection authority, Pico Tancítaro and San Andrés, the highest mountains in the state, saw snowfall starting on Friday afternoon.
The National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) has not yet made any announcement regarding the status of butterfly colonies in Angangueo, as they are still making an evaluation.
In 2016, a winter storm devastated 54 hectares of forest in the state’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, killing more than 6 million hibernating butterflies.
Snowfall was also reported in high-elevation parts of Nuevo León on Saturday.
The forecast for Monday
As per the National Meteorological Service (SMN), cold front 35 has now moved east from Mexico, passing over the Caribbean Sea. The arctic air mass associated with the front will start to warm, leading to a gradual increase in temperatures.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere will remain cold in highland areas of the northwest, north, northeast, center, east and southeast into the late evening on Monday.
Due to the cold temperatures, the SMN has warned of potential frostbite and damage to asphalt pavement. Strong winds may also knock down trees and advertisements, for which authorities have called on residents to follow official recommendations to stay safe.
Finally, the SMN reported that a mid-level anticyclonic circulation in the atmosphere will bring a slight chance of rain to most of Mexico, with isolated showers in the Yucatán Peninsula, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz and Baja California.
With reports from El Financiero, La Jornada, El Sol de México, El Universal and El Economista
