The pampero is a cold, dry wind that bursts across the Pampas from the south or southwest, associated with cold fronts of Antarctic or Patagonian origin. It can cause temperature drops of 10–20 °C in a few hours and gusts exceeding 100 km/h.
Variants
The pampero húmedo is preceded by cumulonimbus and heavy rain, while the pampero seco arrives under clear skies with dust. It especially affects agriculture across Argentina and Uruguay. Behaviourally, it is analogous to the European mistral or the North American norther — all polar air intrusions channelled by terrain.