Experiences. Snow.

July 9, 2007: in Argentina, it is a national holiday that commemorates the Declaration of Independence, an event that took place in 1816. But right on this day, something extraordinary was about to happen: it snowed in the city of Buenos Aires and in several other towns. This caught everyone's attention because, in the entire history of the city, there was only one prior record of snow, back in 1918.

So, all the porteños were delighted with this natural event, the media covered it non-stop, some people were seeing snow for the very first time, and the young kids were filled with joy. Taking advantage of the technology of the time, many were taking photos and filming the event. On the tragic side, which is always present, there were several deaths and many people living below the poverty line suffering from the intense cold—consequences of political neglect and citizen indifference.

The truth is that today brought a natural phenomenon that might not happen again for many years. Snow fell—it was indeed real snow—but it didn't accumulate on the ground because the soil temperature wasn't below 0°C. As the snow hit the "warm" ground, it melted into water, although it did accumulate on plants and cold surfaces such as car roofs, and I could even see it piling up on trash bags. In some areas, the snowfall was heavier, and as night fell, it began to subside.

Here are some interesting links to visit:
•    http://www.me.gov.ar/efeme/9dejulio/index.html
•    http://www.lanacion.com.ar/informaciongeneral/nota.asp?nota_id=924315
•    http://www.infobae.com/contenidos/325742-100884-0-Histórica-nevada-la-Ciudad-y-sus-alrededores