Fifth time in 42 years: Why snowfall has blanketed sand dunes of Sahara desert

Snow in the Sahara!Believe it or not, it’s true… A photographer has captured mesmerising pictures of snow blanketing sand dunes in the Sahara Desert in Africa where temperatures as high as 58 degrees Celsius have been recorded.So, why is it snowing in the desert? We take a stab at the answer.The images show snow and ice near the town of Ain Sefra in northwest Algeria. The area has experienced snow only a handful of times in the past 40 years.Ain Sefra is located in the Atlas Mountains, 1,000 metres above sea level and is known as “the gateway to the desert”. It lies in the Naama province of Algeria in the northern part of the Sahara, close to the Moroccan border.The dusting of snow is the fifth time in 42 years that the town has seen snow, with previous occurrences in 1979, 2016, 2018 and 2021.[caption id="attachment_10303221" align="alignnone" width="640"] The ice crystals formed stunning patterns in the desert sands. Image Courtesy: karim_bouchetat/Instagram[/caption]Ain Sefra sees average high temperatures of around 37 degrees Celsius in summer and has seen record lows of -10.2 degrees Celsius in winter.A UK weather official was quoted as telling The Independent that snow in the Sahara is "unusual but not unheard of."Snow is very rare in the desert because there is not usually enough water in the air for it, even though it can get very cold at night.[caption id="attachment_10303241" align="alignnone" width="640"] Dunes - ideal for sliding - were also partially covered by the snow and ice. Image Courtesy: