Snowfall in the Sahara desert: an unusual weather phenomenon
SNOWFALL in a hot desert may seem a contradiction but snow has been recorded several times in the Sahara Desert over the last decades, most recently in January 2022. Thus, snowfall may be unusual but is not unprecedented in the region. Author JASPER KNIGHT, Professor of Physical Geography, University of the Witwatersrand In order for snow to form, two distinctive weather properties are needed: cold temperatures and moist air. The presence of snow reflects a special combination of air circulation in the atmosphere and the nature of the land surface upon which the snowfalls. Although the Sahara commonly experiences very…