This overwhelming stage is referred to as desierto florido or flowering desert, and it typically usually happens each 5 to 7 years. However, a final time was in 2015, when a segment saw a equivalent of 7 years of sleet in 12 hours, a Weather Channel reported.
Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/atacama-desert-flowers_us_59a806b0e4b0a8d145738250?section=us_travel