A rare phenomenon occurs in the Sahara Desert. In the world's largest desert, which is usually barren and covered with sand, it snows.
Snow appears to fall on a stretch of sand in the Sahara Desert. Temperatures in the region drop below freezing overnight, creating a stunning sight.
Ice covers the dunes. This is an unusual phenomenon in the world's largest barren desert, given the average temperature of 58 degrees Celsius.
Photographer Karim Bouchetata takes this picture of snow and ice in the town of Ain Sefra in northwestern Algeria. Photo: Karim Bouchetta via Daily Mail
The temperature in this city dropped drastically to -2 degrees Celsius and snow continued to pile up covering the dunes.
The ice sheet creates a stunning pattern over the sand.
This is the fifth snowfall that has occurred in the last 42 years. The city previously experienced similar events in 1979, 2016, 2018 and 2021.
Ain Sefra, also known as The Gateway to the Desert, is about 3,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.
January last year also saw snow blanketing the dunes of the Sahara (pictured) in a region that has only seen snow five times in 42 years.
Sheep are seen on an ice-covered dune in the Algerian Sahara in January 2021 as temperatures drop below zero.
Saudis expressed their joy at seeing the arrival of rare snowfall in the country's Aseer region last year. F