- Parts of Brazil have seen snow for the first time in 64 years due to an uncharacteristic cold spell.
- In Rio Grande do Sul, the snow has threatened agriculture, with sugar and coffee prices rising.
- The snowfall is exciting for many Brazilians who have never experienced it before.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Brazilians are marveling upon seeing snow for the first time in their lives, with rare low temperatures hitting the country and causing a rise in coffee prices.
Snow fell overnight on Thursday for the first time in 64 years due to a polar air mass traveling towards the country's sub-tropical center-south, blanketing the streets.
More than 40 cities found themselves facing icy conditions, and at least 33 municipalities saw snow, according to the meteorology company Somar Meteorologia.
-Greg Dee (@GregDeeWeather) July 29, 2021
In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the snow has threatened agriculture, with coffee, sugarcane, and orange crops all potentially at risk.
Coffee and sugar prices have already risen across the world following Brazil's uncharacteristic cold spell.
-Kilroy_Nikolay (@KilroyNikolay) July 29, 2021
For some Brazilians, the novelty was an exciting opportunity to take pictures and make snowmen, with some expressing their disbelief on social media.
-Banana Slamma (@BananaSlamma312) July 28, 2021
"I am 62 years old and had never seen the snow, you know? To see nature's beauty is something indescribable," said truck driver Iodor Goncalves Marques in Cambara do Sul, a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul state, speaking to TV Globo network.
Brazilians braced themselves for the coldest day of the year on Friday, with freezing temperatures and strong winds of up to 80 km/h (49 mph) across the country.
"It was worth it. Actually, you almost do not feel the cold because of how exciting the snow is. It is marvelous, it is marvelous!" Brazilian Joselaine da Silva Marques told TV Globo while enjoying the snow in Cambara do Sul.
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