Mendoza - NOT!

So we had plans to finally drive over the mountains to Mendoza this weekend because it is sort-of a long weekend because of Labor Day (May 1) on Tuesday (we were taking the kids out of school on Monday).  The best laid plans.....

It turns out that yesterday was the first major rain/snow storm of the season and the pass was/is closed.  The precordillera (the foothills) outside my window are half covered in snow and they, at the highest, are only at 3,300 meters.  The pass is at 3,800 and is surrounded by other mountains that reach up to almost 7,000.  I think that the snow has stopped this morning (Saturday) but they still have a high wind advisory.  Better that it happened when we were still in Santiago rather than when we were returning!

Meanwhile, here the first major rain (I think that there was another smaller one when we were in the Atacama) caused havoc on our area of town.  The rivers finally filled up (and overbanked) in our neighborhood and many underpasses were closed.  Reminds me of my time at the Army Corps of Engineers when I worked on flood control and would get excited anytime it flooded because it meant more work to do - I was on my way to being a true government bureaucrat but was saved early enough.

Manquehue (our normal drive home from school)

The "Kennedy" near our exit.

The bonus now is that whenever it rains/snows the smog is cleared and we have a fantastic view of the mountains from our apartment.

Stay tuned - we may still get to Mendoza and hopefully get views of a meter of fresh snow and almost 7,000 meter peaks!  Now to find out where to buy/rent chains.......