Snow falls on Sahara Desert in new photos of rare phenomenon as temperature falls to -2C

dailystar.co.uk:

The Sahara Desert has seen a snowfall settle into the sand as temperatures dropped below freezing in a rare phenomenon.Ice and snow covered the dunes of the largest desert in the world, where temperatures as high as 58C have been recorded.Photographer Karim Bouchetata captured the stunning images of snow and ice covering the sand in the town of Ain Sefra in Algeria, January 18.Overnight temperatures plummeted, with the Algerian town charting lows of -2C (28F).The ice and snow that fell on the usually warm sand created stunning patterns after an unexpected sprinkling of snow covered the area.The snowy dusting is the fifth time in 42 years that the Algerian town has seen snow, with the last four occurrences in 2021, 2018, 2016 and decades ago in 1979.At around 3,000ft above sea level, Ain Serfa, known as The Gateway to the Desert, is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.Covering most of Northern Africa, the Sahara Desert has gone through climate changes, temperature shifts and varying moisture levels over the past few hundred thousand years.Although the Sahara is very dry today, it is expected to become green again in about 15,000 years.Camels were gripped by the extreme temperatures of North Africa, seen surrounded by snow in the summer and winter months.Snow and ice in desert regions is unusual but not rare or obscure, especially now that January, one of the the coldest months for Algeria, is in full effect.Dramatic temperature drops in the past few years have seen snowfall in the North African region and in the Middle East too.January of 2021 and 2022 saw temperatures dip below freezing and both the Sahara Desert and Saudi Arabia were covered in snow.2018 was the third time Ain Serfa was coated in snow, and now the area.