Average precipitation on Licancabur is estimated at about per year, but snowfall probably exceeded in 1955. Snow has been recorded at Llano de Chajnantor when easterly winds transport moisture from the Amazon to the area in summer. Licancabur has no persistent snowpack; snow deposited by storms usually disappears within a few days. In sheltered areas, however, it can persist for months. Licancabur's present snow line is estimated at .