The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. It is considered to be one of the harshest environments on the planet that covers 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers) or almost one-third of the African continent and about the size of the US, including Hawaii and Alaska.
The Sahara is most famous for its sand dune fields, which are often depicted in movies. It reaches almost 600 feet (183 meters) high but only covers 15% of the entire desert, according to Live Science. But it also has mountains, plateaus, sand- and gravel-covered plains, and many more.
With the scorching hot temperature in the desert, who would have thought that it would rain snow in one of the driest places on Earth? But it did happen over the past decades and is reportedly happening for the fourth time in 42 years this time. Although this seems to be astonishing, experts claim that the snowfall is unprecedented.
Rare Snowfall Leaves Unique Patterns on Sahara's Sand Dunes
Last January 19, the Sahara desert was reportedly covered with snow. The snow was spotted outside the town of Ain Sefra northwest of Algeria wherein it created a unique pattern on the sand dunes. Local photographer Karim Boucheta took the photos of the sand dunes streaked with crystal ice and the unusual weather in the Sahara desert that have made headlines around the world.
Snow in Sahara Desert 2021 | Ice blankets the Sahara desert while snow falls in Saudi Arabia Screenshot from YouTube/Analysis TV
The dusting marks on the sand dunes is the fourth tie that the desert experienced snow in 42 years, with previous occurrences recorded in the years 1979, 2016, and 2018. Unlike this year's rare snowfall, previous snowfalls were a lot thicker and heavier. For instance, the 2016 blizzard dumped over 3 feet (1meter) in selected regions, while the 2018 snowfall left15 inches (40 centimeters) of snow.
According to NASA, the Sahara Desert is more likely to experience snowfall at higher altitudes, like the Atlas Mountains. The American space agency said that the 2018 snow dump was even visible from space. They added that the Moroccan side of the Atlas Mountains also saw some snowfalls in 2015 and 2012.
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Why Did It Snow In the Sahara Desert?
Ain Sefra is located near the border of Algeria and Morocco. It sits about 3,800 feet (1,000 meters) above sea levels and is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains. During the summer season, the region's temperature is usually 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
However, Sky News reported that this January it averaged on by about 57 F (14 C). The night before the recent ethereal display of frost in the Sahara Desert, the temperature was only 27 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 degrees Celsius).
According to Paul Deanno Books, for any place to receive snowfall, it needs to have two weather factors: cold air and moisture. These factors are short in supply in Africa but not in Ain Sefra, which makes snow unusual but not impossible.
That means cold plus precipitation could result in snow even in the world's driest place, which happened again for the fourth time in 42 years.
READ MORE: Evidence Of Water System Found In Sahara
Check out more news and information on Snow on Science Times.
