Sahara Desert–Many parts of the world experience snow and cold in January, but snow in a hot desert is pretty unusual. But it does happen occasionally. Some parts of the Sahara desert received snow when temperatures dropped below freezing point in Africa and the Middle East.
In these dreamlike images captured by photographer Karim Bouchetata, ice forms on sand dunes in the Sahara as the region sees unusual landscapes. An area of northwestern Algeria, including the town of Aïn Séfra , was covered in snow on Monday as temperatures fell below freezing, according to the Daily Mail.
Snow has fallen only five times in the past 42 years, and local residents were left freezing overnight as the temperature dipped as low as -2C. Located around 1,000 meters above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains, An Séfra is known as “The Gateway to the Desert.”
Throughout the past few hundred thousand years, temperature and moisture have fluctuated in the Sahara Desert, which is largely located in Northern Africa. Even though temperatures can drastically drop in deserts overnight, ice and snow usually don’t result, at least partially due to the low levels of moisture in the air.
Nevertheless, it is a welcome respite from the sweltering heat.
The northwestern Saudi city of Tabuk was blanketed in snow earlier this month after a dramatic drop in temperatures overnight, Gulf News reported. As the Tabuk region experienced heavy rain and snowfall, Jabal Al Lawz remained totally covered in snow.
In response to the rare sight, people flocked to the region to take in the experience. In northwest Saudi Arabia, there is a range of mountains called Jabal Al Lawz, which is located near the Jordanian border in Tabuk, about 200 km northwest of Tabuk, and which is named after the almond trees that grow on it.
The northern cities of the kingdom were covered in snow last year. As a result of so much snow in 2018, locals and tourists both took part in fun snow-related activities, such as riding sleighs and throwing snowballs.
Sahara Desert Snowfall: People What About Say That
African Hub said on twitter, “Snow has fallen in the Sahara Desert in northwestern Algeria for the 5th time in 42 years 🇩🇿”
A man called David, “Snow in the Sahara Desert today, brrrr…”
KEN, “Snow in the Sahara Desert has to be the most beautiful thing I saw today”
Find us in the Alps, “Just chilling out in the Sahara.”
Arezki Mer, “Snow in the desert. Stunning colours”
