Heavy snowfall recorded in the Cajas Mountains

As much as four inches of snow fell near the Cuenca – Guayaquil highway Friday morning. (El Comercio)

The National Institute of Meteorology (Inamhi) reports that the overnight snowfall in the Cajas National Park was one of the heaviest on record. The snow measured 12 centimeters at some locations along the Cuenca – Naranjal highway and as much as 60 centimeters in the higher elevations.

According to Inamhi, the snow was the result of heavy participation over much of the southern inter-Andean valley Thursday night and early Friday morning. Cuenca recorded almost four centimeters of rain as of 5 a.m.

Transit police reported icy conditions on the roadway at dawn but said the danger had passed by 9 a.m. as sunshine melted the ice. The overnight low temperature at the Cajas park ranger station was -2 C degrees. In Cuenca, the morning low was a moderate 10 degrees.