Cold Surges in Tropical and Extratropical South America: The Strong Event in June 1994

The authors investigate one case of surges of polar air that occasionally propagate into southeastern Brazil during wintertime and are harmful to coffee production because of the freezing conditions associated with them. The cooling is also observed in southern and, with less intensity, in western Amazonia. The event of 26 June 1994 is studied. The frost event caused a sharp drop in coffee production and similarly dramatic increases in coffee prices.