This Is How A Snowy Day In The Sahara Looks Like

Sled bells ring, are you listening?
In the desert, snow is glistening...Show more

On January 7th, 2018, residents of a town on the brinks of the Sahara Desert woke up to a rare sight: 16 inches of snow dropped onto the dunes of the sandy Sahara Desert. It was just the third snowfall in 40 years for the Algerian town of Ain Sefra. The snow caused travel chaos with cars and busses stranded on the icy roads. But, some locals embraced the fleeting winter wonderland. Children made sure to play in the snow before it melted just a few hours later.

The rare snowstorm resulted from a high-pressure system pulling cold air into the Sahara. When the cold air reached the elevation of 3,280feet it turned all moisture into snow. Ain Sefra is also known as “the Gateway to the Desert”. It is more accustomed to some of the hottest temperatures in the world. In July 2017, they experienced average highs of 99,7 degrees Fahrenheit. Geologists say that this snowy anomaly could signal an upcoming climate shift. 5,500 years ago North Africa was covered with lakes and vegetation, and it is possible that this could be the start of a return from arid to humid. But with this types of weather extremes happening around the world, some fear this is just part of the larger trend of global climate change.