The municipality of Bom Jardim da Serra in Santa Catarina recorded a temperature of -9.1°C on Wednesday [1], the lowest measurement for Brazil in 2026.
This extreme cold snap highlights the volatility of southern Brazil's winter patterns, where polar air masses can cause sudden, severe temperature drops that impact local agriculture and infrastructure.
The freeze is the result of a strong cold front and a polar air mass that moved over southern Brazil [4], producing widespread frost across the Serra Catarinense region. While the -9.1°C mark was recorded on June 24 [1], [2], the region has faced a series of record lows throughout the month.
Earlier in the week, Bom Jardim da Serra recorded a minimum of -7.3°C on June 18 [3], [4]. This followed another dip on June 17, when the temperature reached -6.7°C [5]. Some reports from June 18 initially identified the -7.3°C mark as the lowest temperature of the year [3], but the Wednesday reading surpassed that figure.
Residents and visitors in the region reported a wind-chill sensation of -10°C during the peak of the freeze [6]. The plummeting temperatures transformed the landscape with frozen scenery, and the first significant frosts of the winter season [6].
Local authorities and weather monitors continue to track the polar mass as it influences the climate of the southern states. The municipality of Bom Jardim da Serra remains the primary focal point for these record-breaking temperatures due to its high altitude in the Serra Catarinense region [1], [3].
“Bom Jardim da Serra recorded a temperature of -9.1°C on Wednesday”
The repeated record lows in June 2026 indicate a powerful polar vortex affecting the Southern Hemisphere. Because these temperatures are significantly below the norm for much of Brazil, such events can lead to crop failure for frost-sensitive agriculture in the Santa Catarina highlands and put pressure on energy grids as heating demand spikes.
