Argentina cold snap

Kids playing in a rare snowfall - Cordoba, Argentina

Snow makes roads slick and driving difficult in Cordoba, Argentina

Snow in July? Well, that's the case for Argentina this week. It is winter in the southern hemisphere.

An arctic air mass is hovering over the middle of the country, bringing frigid temperatures and leaving snow on the ground. In Cordoba, north and east of the capital, roads and homes were blanketed in white, making driving conditions trecherous, but exciting children with the rare snowfall.

Local newspapers reported that the temperature plunged to -1.5°C in Buenos Aires, on Friday -- making it the coolest day in a decade for the capital. Even the beaches saw white powder. The coastal resort city Mar del Plata was blanketed by snow for two days straight.

Woman bundles up on the streets in Buenos Aires

The snow was easily the biggest story of the day, as most newspaper front pages were dedicated to pictures of the snow. One paper reported snowfall in 12 of the country's 22 provinces.

Meteorologists say the satellite images show that the cold air mass settled firmly over central Patagonia, where temperatures plummeted to -15°C. Maria de los Milagros Skance, the director of the national meteorologist service said, “A cold air mass from the pole moved into the country and affected the entire country and continues affecting it.”

Skance also notes that the air mass caused snow in places that don't get snow and then pushed the cold all the way up into the subtropical northern areas of the country.

In Buenos Aires, temperatures are expected to climb until Monday, but there's still a wind-chill factor and light rains that will keep conditions frosty.

With files from Reuters