Who’s ready for some sand dune snow sledding? Snow fell on the Sahara desert this week for the first time in nearly 40 years.
The first and most recent snow storm reached the arid region was on February 18, 1979.
It's snowing in the #Sahara Desert… Read more: https://t.co/fs3XIS6iWw#travel #travelnews #snow #snowinafrica #SaharaSnow pic.twitter.com/q4lambp7UB
— Top Travel Stuff (@TopTravelStuff) December 22, 2016
Amateur photographer Karim Bouchetata was in the right desert at the right time to catch the historic snowfall: The small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, on December 19. He tells the Telegraph:
“Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the desert; it is such a rare occurrence. It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos. The snow stayed for about a day and has now melted away.”
The Sahara desert, the world’s largest hot desert, stretches across 6.6 million square miles. The area where this snow fell, Ain Safra, is known as the “The Gateway to the Desert.” In the summer, Ain Safra can get as hot as over 120 degrees fahrenheit, but it’s just as extreme in the winter, when it dips to 13 degrees.
Snow falls in #Sahara Desert for first time in 37-years, these stunning images ensue. https://t.co/4LLm8gAIfI #SaharaSnow #saharadesert pic.twitter.com/wv8NLoSGig
— TechEBlog (@techeblog) December 22, 2016
Dry, hot #Sahara desert hit by freak snowfall for the first time in 37 years. #SaharaSnow @CNNTravel @mofromcnn https://t.co/KA1znjfTyA pic.twitter.com/r8UQkyNQ6H
— Natural Habitat Adventures (@NatHab) December 22, 2016
The Inquisitr points out that the snow might cause some to wonder what this means for climate change:
“Somewhat predictably, the desert snowfall has caused a slew of social media commentary claiming that this event proves global warming is a hoax. However, according to NASA, nearly all climate scientists agree that man-made climate change is currently threatening the planet.”
While it’s a beautiful, surreal sight, it’s not reason for armchair skeptics to put climate change up for debate.
[h/t Telegraph]
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