Snowfall in the desert is not an impossible event

Photo byMark KuiperonUnsplash

The Earth is a complicated and dynamic system. From the icy polar regions to the sweltering tropics, it has a wide diversity of climates across its surface, with each climate zone presenting unique challenges and opportunities for the life forms that inhabit it.

Deserts are typically scorching, arid landscapes with unrelenting sunshine in a cloudless sky. Sometimes, however, when the conditions are right, these arid landscapes will produce frozen precipitation.

In the Sahara, for instance, temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) during the day, and rainfall is so scarce that it only occurs once every few decades. So it’s much more likely to see sandstorms and extreme heat in the region than snow.

Nevertheless, there have been instances where snow has fallen in the Sahara. It's rare for snow to fall in the Sahara Desert, but it’s not impossible. In truth, there have been a few instances of snowfall in the Sahara in the past.

In December 2016, the Algerian town of Ain Sefra saw its first measurable snowfall in decades. Located on the edge of the Sahara, it was the first snowfall in the region in nearly 40 years. Now, snow has become a regular occurrence in Ain Sefra; in fact, it has gotten measurable snow almost every winter since, and as recently as January 2022.

The Algerian town of Ain Sefra received snow in the northern hemisphere winters of 1979, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. Wits University

So, how does it snow in a desert environment?

Well, in order for snow to form, there needs to be a source of moisture and a significant drop in temperature. Cold air masses may come from Europe, where winter weather is more common. Also, deserts can get really cold at night, and although the Sahara is one of the driest regions on Earth, it’s not completely devoid of moisture.

The air in the Sahara can contain small amounts of water vapor, and when cold air masses move in, this moisture can be transformed into snow or sleet.

While snow in the Sahara is a rare event, it’s not unique to this desert region. Other deserts around the world, like the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia and the American deserts, have also experienced snowfall.