Is there snow in the Sahara Desert?

The Sahara desert, which covers most of Northern Africa, has gone through shifts in temperature over the past few hundred thousand years – but snow and ice are still very rare. The town in the Naama province has experienced snow only three other times in 42 years – in 1979, 2017 and 2018.

Can deserts have snow?

The town of Ain Sefra, on the edge of the Sahara desert, was hit by icy weather last week – and even snow. Snowfall is very rare in the Sahara, despite the fact that it can be cold at night – because there’s rarely enough water around for any kind of precipitation.

Why does it snow in Sahara desert?

Why Does It Snow in Desert? A high pressure formation in Europe, causes the cold air from the Artic to be pulled down, which makes its way through southern Europe landing in the Sahara desert. This cold air then rises to the elevation Ain Sefra, where it causes the snowfall.

How cold does it get in the Sahara?

That’s because temperatures in the Sahara can plummet once the sun sets, from an average high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) during the day to an average low of 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees Celsius) during the night, according to NASA.

Why there is no rain in Sahara?

Why there is no rain in Sahara? Hot, moist air rises into the atmosphere near the Equator. … As it approaches the tropics, the air descends and warms up again. The descending air hinders the formation of clouds, so very little rain falls on the land below.

Is Antarctica bigger than the Sahara?

Antarctica is the largest desert on earth, almost twice the size of the Sahara Desert.

Why is it snowing in the Sahara?

To put this into perspective, the Sahara desert is one of the hottest and driest places in the world – according to CNN temperatures there can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit. But it can also maintain cold enough temperatures to be able to allow snow to fall.

Did it ever snow in the Sahara?

For the only time in recorded weather history, snow fell in the Sahara desert in southern Algeria on February 18, 1979. The storm lasted only half an hour and the snow was gone within hours. Some parts get snow every year.

Snow has fallen in the Sahara, covering desert dunes in a layer up to 40cm deep. Snow started falling on the Algerian town of Ain Sefra in the early hours of Sunday morning, giving children an opportunity to race each other down the slopes. Rising temperatures meant it began to melt later in the day.

Does it rain in the Sahara?

Yes, it does rain in the Sahara (the word just means ‘desert’ in Arabic). It usually rains in winter, which can be cold at night, and occasionally the rainfall can be sudden and torrential, which is why it isn’t a good idea to camp or go along a wadi which is just a dry river course for this water.