Snowfall in the Sahara Desert: The world’s hottest desert briefly turned into a winter wonderland

On January 7, Ain Sefra, a desert town in Algeria, also known as the 'Gateway to the Sahara' - where the Atla mountains meet the Sahara Desert - received snowfall.

View of snow in the Sahara Desert, near the town of Ain Sefra, Algeria. (Source: Hamouda Ben Jerad/via Reuters)

If you’ve ever been to the desert, you would know that it is a barren piece of land with the scorching sun shining for the larger part of the day with little or no rainfall. However, things took a shocking turn when the world’s hottest desert — The Sahara Desert in Africa — was pictured covered in snow. Unbelievable, right? Well, it’s true. Swirls of white snow in the orange dunes actually looked like some kind of latte art.

On January 7, Ain Sefra, a desert town in Algeria, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Sahara’ – where the Atla mountains meet the Sahara Desert – received snowfall. While some reports said that parts of the desert was covered with up to 16 inches of snow, a report in CNN said that the town officially reported less than one inch of snow.

This is not the first time such pictures have gone viral. Last year too, the snow-sightings in the Sahara Desert had mesmerised people around the world. Reports also suggest that before that, it snowed in Sahara way back in the month of February in 1979.

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The photos that have been doing the rounds on social media are breathtaking and it’s difficult to distinguish whether they are from the Sahara or the Alps. While some were bewitched at the sight, others were concerned about the drastic environmental changes.

Check out some reactions on Twitter here.

Sahara Desert covered in 15 inches of SNOW – recent weather blankets sand dunes! pic.twitter.com/B85t2EOm2v

— Antonio Paris (@AntonioParis) January 8, 2018

Sahara desert snow? 3rd time in 40years? Ya Allah, that’s scary

— bye (@Dhannyzx) January 10, 2018

Honestly anyone who doesn’t believe in global warming IS AN OBLIVIOUS IDIOT

IT SNOWED IN THE SAHARA DESERT FOR CHRIST’S SAKE https://t.co/1SWinz9qZo

— Victoria (@vicxkat) January 9, 2018

Snow in Sahara Desert. Global freezing is real pic.twitter.com/S1xaNRSKhj

— Mohamed Wehliye (@WehliyeMohamed) January 10, 2018

News on snow falling in some parts of the sahara desert is all the motivation I need for this year.

— gaj (@6ODFREY) January 10, 2018

16 inches of snow in the Sahara desert
*adds to list of apocalyptic level weather in 2018* AND WE’RE BARELY OUT OF THE FIRST WEEK YET

— Glytch (@GlytchTech) January 9, 2018

Watch the video here.

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