From the name the Sahara Desert, the largest, hottest desert in the world, a picture of the suffocating heat comes to mind. However, a strange thing happened in the small desert town of Ain Sefra in Algeria on December 19. Villagers were surprised as snow started falling there for the first time in 37 years, and the snow lingered a day before melting.
Ain Sefra, also known as ‘The Gateway to the Desert,’ is about 1,078 meters above sea level and is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.
Image courtesy Youtube
An amateur photographer, Karim Bouchetata, captured rare and beautiful images. He said, “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.”
Snow was reportedly last seen in Ain Sefra on February 18, 1979, when the snow storm lasted just half an hour.
Image courtesy Youtube
