Sahara Desert turns white from rare snowfall: Here's the reason behind it
Rare snowfall has transformed the golden dunes of northern Algeria into a stunning winter landscape. Cold air from Europe collided with Mediterranean moisture to create this extraordinary desert phenomenon.
Snowfall in the Sahara Desert sounds like a contradiction. Known as the world’s hottest desert, the Sahara is associated with scorching heat, dry winds, and endless sand dunes.
Yet around January 17, 2026, parts of northern Algeria witnessed an extraordinary sight: golden desert dunes covered in white snow.
The rare event occurred near An Sfra, a town on the northern edge of the Sahara, often called the “Gateway to the Desert.” Photos and videos shared by residents showed snow resting on sand, creating a surreal landscape that quickly went viral.
WHAT CAUSED THE SNOWFALL?
The immediate trigger was a strong surge of cold air moving southward into North Africa. During winter, powerful cold air masses can spill out of Europe and the Mediterranean region. In mid-January, such a cold outbreak pushed temperatures in northern Algeria close to or below freezing.
At the same time, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was drawn inland by winter weather systems. When this moisture-laden air collided with colder air over the Sahara’s northern fringe, conditions became just right for snow.
WHY DOES SNOW FALL IN A DESERT AT ALL?
Despite its reputation, the Sahara is not always hot—winter nights can be bitterly cold, especially in elevated regions. Snow needs two things: cold temperatures and moisture. While moisture is scarce in the Sahara, it is not entirely absent.
The presence of the Atlas Mountains plays a key role. As moist air is forced upward over higher terrain, it cools rapidly. This cooling allows water vapour to condense into ice crystals, which then fall as snow when surface temperatures are low enough.
Snowfall in Ain Sefra is unusual but not unprecedented. Similar events were recorded in 1979, 2018, 2021, and 2023. These snowfalls usually last only a few hours or days before melting under the desert sun, sometimes mixing with sand to create orange-tinged snow.
IS CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSIBLE?
Scientists say this event cannot be directly blamed on climate change. However, a warming Arctic is disrupting jet stream patterns, making extreme weather, both hot and cold, more likely in unusual places.
This makes rare events like Saharan snow slightly more frequent or intense.
While beautiful, such extremes remind us how delicately balanced Earth’s weather systems are, even in the planet’s most unlikely landscapes.
SNOWFALL IN SAUDI ARABIA
Similar scenes have transformed the landscape of northwestern Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Tabuk province. In late December 2025 and early January 2026, a powerful polar front brought freezing temperatures to regions like Jabal al-Lawz and the high-altitude Trojena highlands.
While the kingdom is synonymous with sun-drenched dunes, these mountains regularly reach heights over 2,500 meters, allowing moisture from the Mediterranean to condense into thick blankets of snow when the mercury dips below zero.
The sight of camels navigating through snow-covered plains has become a digital sensation, but for local meteorologists, it marks a significant atmospheric collision.
These events occur when cold, dry polar air from the north meets moist low-pressure systems moving up from the Arabian Sea. While historical records from agencies like Nasa show that such occurrences are rare, with some regions experiencing their first significant dusting in decades, they highlight the increasing weather variability currently shifting the climate patterns of the Arabian Peninsula.
Snowfall in the Sahara Desert sounds like a contradiction. Known as the world’s hottest desert, the Sahara is associated with scorching heat, dry winds, and endless sand dunes.
Yet around January 17, 2026, parts of northern Algeria witnessed an extraordinary sight: golden desert dunes covered in white snow.
The rare event occurred near An Sfra, a town on the northern edge of the Sahara, often called the “Gateway to the Desert.” Photos and videos shared by residents showed snow resting on sand, creating a surreal landscape that quickly went viral.
WHAT CAUSED THE SNOWFALL?
The immediate trigger was a strong surge of cold air moving southward into North Africa. During winter, powerful cold air masses can spill out of Europe and the Mediterranean region. In mid-January, such a cold outbreak pushed temperatures in northern Algeria close to or below freezing.
At the same time, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was drawn inland by winter weather systems. When this moisture-laden air collided with colder air over the Sahara’s northern fringe, conditions became just right for snow.
WHY DOES SNOW FALL IN A DESERT AT ALL?
Despite its reputation, the Sahara is not always hot—winter nights can be bitterly cold, especially in elevated regions. Snow needs two things: cold temperatures and moisture. While moisture is scarce in the Sahara, it is not entirely absent.
The presence of the Atlas Mountains plays a key role. As moist air is forced upward over higher terrain, it cools rapidly. This cooling allows water vapour to condense into ice crystals, which then fall as snow when surface temperatures are low enough.
Snowfall in Ain Sefra is unusual but not unprecedented. Similar events were recorded in 1979, 2018, 2021, and 2023. These snowfalls usually last only a few hours or days before melting under the desert sun, sometimes mixing with sand to create orange-tinged snow.
IS CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSIBLE?
Scientists say this event cannot be directly blamed on climate change. However, a warming Arctic is disrupting jet stream patterns, making extreme weather, both hot and cold, more likely in unusual places.
This makes rare events like Saharan snow slightly more frequent or intense.
While beautiful, such extremes remind us how delicately balanced Earth’s weather systems are, even in the planet’s most unlikely landscapes.
SNOWFALL IN SAUDI ARABIA
Similar scenes have transformed the landscape of northwestern Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Tabuk province. In late December 2025 and early January 2026, a powerful polar front brought freezing temperatures to regions like Jabal al-Lawz and the high-altitude Trojena highlands.
While the kingdom is synonymous with sun-drenched dunes, these mountains regularly reach heights over 2,500 meters, allowing moisture from the Mediterranean to condense into thick blankets of snow when the mercury dips below zero.
The sight of camels navigating through snow-covered plains has become a digital sensation, but for local meteorologists, it marks a significant atmospheric collision.
These events occur when cold, dry polar air from the north meets moist low-pressure systems moving up from the Arabian Sea. While historical records from agencies like Nasa show that such occurrences are rare, with some regions experiencing their first significant dusting in decades, they highlight the increasing weather variability currently shifting the climate patterns of the Arabian Peninsula.