Rare Phenomenon As Snow Falls In Sahara Desert (Photos)

Snow has fallen on the sand in the Sahara Desert after temperatures dropped below freezing overnight, creating stunning landscapes

Ice blanketed the dune in the unusual phenomenon in the largest hot desert in the world, where temperatures of 58C have been recorded

Photographer Karim Bouchetata took pictures of the snow and ice in the town of Ain Sefra in northwestern Algeria yesterday

Overnight, the mercury in the Algerian town is currently plummeting to -2C (28F) as snow continues to be dumped on the dunes

The ice created stunning patterns in the sand after the area saw a sprinkling of snow fall unexpectedly

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

Ain Sefra – known as The Gateway to the Desert – is around 3,000ft above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains

The Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa and it has gone through shifts in temperature and moisture over the past few hundred thousand years.

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Although the Sahara is very dry today, it is expected to become green again in about 15,000 years.

Last year, camels were seen surrounded by snow as North Africa was gripped by extreme temperatures in the summer and winter months.

Last January also saw snow blanket the Saharan dunes (pictured) in the region which has only seen snow five times in 42 years

Sheep were seen standing on the ice-covered dunes in the Algerian Sahara in January 2021 as temperatures dipped below zero

Residents of Saudi Arabia expressed joy and excitement over the rare snowfall in the country’s Aseer region last year