The streets of the municipality of Tacaná were covered with a layer of ice that resembled snow, caused by intense hail rain. The images surprise the Central American region where this phenomenon is not common.
Guatemala It is characterized by a cool climate, but it is unusual for some of its landscapes to register temperatures so low that it can snow. Over the past decade, due to climate change, the neighboring country has had some snowfall on the highest peaks of its mountains and volcanoes, surprising its own inhabitants. Yesterday (01/05/2021) it was also documented how the streets of the San Marcos department were covered with a white blanket.
The Guatemalan media has not registered this phenomenon as snowfall, despite the fact that in the photos that went viral on social networks, roads appear covered with something very similar to snow. According to Mega Enlace Tv and Prensa Libre, what happened in the municipality of Tacaná (San Marcos, 2,398 meters above sea level) was actually a rain with a lot of hail, causing the effect of a “big layer of snow”.
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Image of one of the streets of Tacaná, in the municipality of San Marcos. Capture photo Facebook Federal Republic of Central America.
One of the last “major snowfalls” over Guatemala fell on the Tajamulco volcano on December 19, 2009, collecting about 20 cm of snow on the top of the volcano. The phenomenon recorded in Tacaná was not of great magnitude, but it caught the attention of Guatemalan citizens, the press and of course other Central Americans who saw the postcards on the social networks of Facebook and Twitter.
“That beauty… !! It seems that the hurricanes have purified the land to such an extent that it has restored its boundary in its seasons.
“,” Congratulations San Marcos “,” And in Ixchiguan, no snow fell? A few years ago I was there, very cold, but they are beautiful places, greetings from Honduras “,” Snow 
“, “The snow from here in the states 
was going to fall there. Guatemala, blessed land, with God 
“Are some comments made by netizens.
A bus got stuck because of the ice that formed on the road. Photo taken from Twitter @ soy_502 – Mega Enlace TV
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According to meteorologists, the hail arises “when the strong winds are added into the cloud and as it descends, there is a cooling that freezes them, forming small or large ice balls that fall from the sky during the rain.” The hail buildup recorded in this area of Guatemala also hit some vehicles circulating in the area, a situation portrayed in the images published by Mega Enlace TV and the web portal soy502.com.
It looks like a United States or Canada landscape, but it is Guatemala. Explanation from the Mega Enlace TV medium about what made it look like snow. Capture Photo Facebook Mega Enlace TV @ Canal6TG
We share the images of this hailstorm that has put this Guatemalan municipality on the international radar.
Some people help pave the way for travel. Photo taken from Facebook @ Canal6TG Mega Enlace TV. Channel 6 Tacaná, San Marcos