Snowfall in The Sahara Desert: World’s Hottest Desert Covered in Snow As Temperatures Plunge to -2C | Watch

Photographer Karim Bouchetata has captured some sunning images of snow blanketing sand dunes in the town of Ain Sefra in northwestern Algeria where temperatures fell to -2 degrees earlier this week.

Viral Video: Deserts are the places that we usually associate with scorching heat and barren sandy wastes, but in recent years the Sahara Desert has been experiencing rare bouts of snowfall. As temperatures plummeted to below freezing, snow has again descended in the Sahara Desert in north-western Algeria. Photographer Karim Bouchetata has captured some sunning images of snow blanketing sand dunes in the town of Ain Sefra in northwestern Algeria where temperatures fell to -2 degrees earlier this week. Ain Sefra, known as The Gateway to the Desert, is around 1,000 metres above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.

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A post shared by Karim Bouchetata (@karim_bouchetat)

 

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A post shared by Karim Bouchetata (@karim_bouchetat)

This is only the fifth time in the past 42 years that snow has fallen on the town, with previous occurrences in 1979, 2016, 2018 and 2021. The ice created stunning patterns in the sand after the area saw a sprinkling of snow fall unexpectedly. On social media, photos and a video of the snow-covered Sahara Desert have gone viral, leaving people mesmerised.

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

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

#صور من تساقط الثلوج على مرتفعات جبل اللوز بمنطقة تبوك.#واس_جودة_الحياة pic.twitter.com/e4A7SWq0jw

— واس جودة الحياة (@SPAqualitylife) January 1, 2022

The ice created stunning patterns in the sand ( Image: Karim Bouchetta/Bav Media)

Temperatures had plummeted to -2C ( Image: Karim Bouchetta/Bav Media)

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. Snow rarely occurs because there is not usually enough water in the air for it despite it being able to get very cold at night.