Snowfall has left mesmerizing patterns across dunes of the Sahara Desert after temperatures plummeted below zero, according to a report in the UK’s Independent newspaper.
Fifth time in 42 years! Sahara desert covered with snow An interesting natural phenomenon was encountered in the Sahara Desert. It snowed in the desert, which reached a temperature of 58 degrees in summer. With the snowfall in 1979, 2016, 2018 and 2021, this rare natural.. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/u5BThStE06
— Green Planet Magazine (@GreenPlanetMag1) January 20, 2022
Rare Snowfall in Sahara Desert Covers Sand Dunes in Ice
Known primarily for being a searing and sandy wasteland, a part of the Sahara Desert has been transformed into an icy winter wonderland. pic.twitter.com/NrToLnVKoa
— Marcelle (@marseelee) January 19, 2022
Snow has fallen in the Sahara Desert in northwestern Algeria for the 5th time in 42 years 🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/R82mg6G07H
— African Hub (@TheAfrican_Hub) January 19, 2022
The images, captured earlier this month, shows snow and ice near the town of Ain Sefra in northwest Algeria. The area has experienced snow only five times in the last 42 years., according to the Green Planet magazine.
Ain Sefra is located in the Atlas Mountains, 1,000 meters 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.
Although temperatures vary in the world’s largest desert, snow and ice are still rare. The only other recorded incidences of snow in Ain Sefra were 1979, 2017, 2018 and last year.