DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A feature in Hoy newspaper on 28 December 2025 explains the white phenomenon that coats the Valle Nuevo, the mountain plateau that sits between 2,200 and 2,400 meters above sea level in central La Vega province. The area’s highest peak, Alto de la Bandera, reaches an elevation of 2,842 meters. The area is frequented by those who want to experience the coldest it gets in the Caribbean.

For years, around this time of the year, social media regularly shares images of Valle Nuevo covered in a pristine white layer. These often leave Dominicans in awe, as the landscape appears to be a Nordic country rather than a scene from a Caribbean island. While the scenery frequently sparks rumors of snowfall in the tropics, meteorologists clarified for Hoy newspaper that the white blanket is actually a distinct phenomenon known as cencellada blanca, or rime ice.

Rime ice...