Morro da Igreja, Mountain peak in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Morro da Igreja is a mountain peak in the Serra Geral range reaching 1,822 meters (5,977 feet) and is the highest inhabited point in Santa Catarina. The summit hosts radar and radio equipment operated by the Brazilian Air Force for regional air traffic management.
The peak gained attention in 1996 when Brazil's lowest unofficial temperature of -17.8 degrees Celsius was recorded there. This extreme weather event brought the location into wider recognition beyond the local region.
The name means "Hill of the Church", though no church stands on the summit. What visitors find there is a Brazilian Air Force base of the Second Integrated Air Defence and Air Traffic Control Centre (CINDACTA II), whose radar station at 1,808 m was the first weather radar station in Santa Catarina. Winter cold, sometimes below zero with occasional snow, draws crowds to the peak.
You can drive to the summit via SC 439 road from Urubici, where a paved route extends 18 kilometers to the peak. The journey usually takes one to two hours depending on weather and road conditions.
A natural stone arch called Pedra Furada is visible from the summit and marks the landscape. The mountain receives regular snowfall during winter months, which is rare for Brazil.
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