[Curiosities] Snow in the Sahara desert? These are the times it happened

[Draeno]

 

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world with an area of 9,065,253 km², which extends through countries such as Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara and Tunisia. In recent years, an unusual phenomenon caused snow to appear in the desert territory.

The temperature in the Sahara desert usually ranges from 30°C to 50°C during the day. However, the temperature is not constant, since there is a variation according to its geographical area. The highest recorded was 58 °C.

Despite all this, snow has been present on more than one occasion in one of the most spectacular deserts in the world.

Sahara desert: how many times did snow fall?
The first record of this strange phenomenon was in the 1970s. On February 18, 1979, snow fell in various places in southern Algeria, including a snowstorm that lasted 30 minutes and stopped traffic in the town of Gardaya.

On the other hand, in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022 its appearance has been registered again. The last one that occurred in January 2022 was very mild. However, in 2018, up to 30 centimeters of snow accumulated.

However, it is not surprising that 37 years have passed without snow in the Sahara desert and that it suddenly appears consecutively.

Sahara desert: how do you explain the appearance of snow?
As explained by Professor of Physical Geography Jasper Knight in his article for The Conversation, moisture reaches the Sahara desert from the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, via low-pressure cyclones in the north, during winter and rainfall. monsoonal in the south in summer. Therefore, although the center of this place is very dry, in the peripheral areas there may be accumulation of humidity.

Additionally, the Atlas Mountains, which are higher than the rest of the desert and close to the Atlantic, act as a barrier to moisture. Therefore, it is at this point where the snow is usually concentrated.

 

 

https://larepublica.pe/datos-lr/2023/01/20/meta-nieve-en-el-desierto-del-sahara-las-veces-en-que-ocurrio-el-fenomeno-cuando-cayo-nieve-en-el-desierto-de-sahara-nieve-en-el-sahara-fotos-lrtm