My boyfriend just texted me that he saw on TV that it was snowing in Baguio. He often likes to yank my chain (is that the right idiom for lying?), so I set out to prove him wrong.
The Philippines is a tropical country, lying very near the equator, and it can get really hot here. (I live in the southern part of the country so I know all about heat.) Baguio is a city that lies in the northern part of the country and is located 1,400 meters above sea level. (It’s built on top of a mountain.) It’s pretty cold there year-round, especially during the months December to February. But not so cold as to actually induce snow (the lowest temperature recorded was 6.3 degrees Celsius in January 1961).
I search for the term “Snow in Baguio” but nothing much comes up, except for some weird plan by the Baguio government to scatter fake snow over the city in 2006. (WTF?) So I modify the search to find the most recent entries, and what do I find but this intriguing forum post:
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) at 5 a.m. Wednesday recorded 9.6 degrees celsius which is the lowest temperature so far recorded this year.
PAGASA weather forecaster Wilson Locando said the temperature in this mountain resort 250 kilometers north of Manila and other parts of the Cordillera region in northern Luzon could further go down until next month due to the effect of the “Siberian winds”.
Records show that the all-time low temperature recorded here was 6.8 degrees celsius in 1960.
In Tuba, Benguet particularly atop Mount Santo Tomas, Jun Willy, a resident in the area, noted the drop of the temperature this morning at 8.2 degrees celsius which resulted in the formation of frost commonly known here as “andap” or thin film of ice formed overnight atop grasses and leaves.
In La Trinidad, Benguet, Dominador Dongla, supervisor of the vegetable trading post, said frosting might occur in the high-lying towns of Atok and Buguias due to the cold temperature prevailing in the area. – PNA
So, definitely no snow in Baguio. (The temperature would have to be below freezing point for that to happen. And that’s 0 degrees Celsius.) But there’s a thin layer of frost on the grass. Wow. My boyfriend may be telling me the truth after all. Anybody from Baguio care to comment???
P.S. That’s my best friend Chris in the photo, from when we visited Baguio last year.
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I think a 14000 feet above sea level mountain will start to frost, even in tropical areas.
Actually the temperature at which it can snow is dependent upon altitude. At 1,400 meters and the temperatures cited, it is entirely possible that you could have snow!
no its not true dont waste your time coming here in baguio just to see fake snow
there was an attempt for a snow fall last december, (artificial) but, it didnt work,, what was seen by the public was a bubbles fall,, hehe
I’m from Baguio City…. The weather here is nearly unpredictable! The clouds move very fast. You sit in a bench enjoying the sun, and the next thing you know, rain’s pouring in! The coldest month is January.