Snow in the Sahara: snow covers dunes in the middle of the desert in Algeria
Snow has fallen again in the Sahara - a rare phenomenon recorded in the Ain Sefra area of Algeria. There, the orange sand dunes were briefly transformed into a white winter landscape.
Ain Sefra is often called the "gateway to the desert." The city is located on the northern edge of the Sahara near the Atlas Mountains, and it is the combination of cold air from the mountains and the dry desert climate that creates the conditions for such rare snowfall.
According to reports, the snow fell after a sharp cold snap, when temperatures in the area dropped below zero. Some publications reported a drop in temperature to around -3 degrees.
Snow in this area is considered a rarity, although in recent years such cases have become more frequent. In open publications, the current snowfall is already referred to as the seventh in the last 40 years. At the same time, different sources count previous cases differently, so the exact statistics in the publications vary.
Previously, snow in the Ain Sefra area was recorded in 1979, as well as during the last decade - in particular in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2025 and 2026, but different sources provide different lists of these dates.
Despite the spectacular images, snow does not last long in the desert. Due to the dry air and rapid rise in temperature, it melts almost immediately after falling.
Photographs of snow-covered dunes quickly spread across the internet precisely because of the contrast: white snow against a backdrop of reddish-orange sand remains one of the rarest natural sights in the world.
