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Photos: Rare snow falls in the Sahara Desert for the 4th time since 1979

By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Jan 10, 2018 8:32 PM EDT | Updated Jan 11, 2018 2:23 PM EDT

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Algeria was hit by a rare storm from a high-pressure system in Europe, which pulled the cold air into Northern Africa.

On Jan. 7, snow fell in one of the hottest places on Earth, blanketing the Sahara Desert north of Algeria’s city of Ain Sefra.

While snow is a rare occurrence in the desert area, a similar snow phenomenon happened last year.

"The Ain Serfa region experienced accumulating snow back on Jan. 21, 2017. Snow also fell over the region in December 2016 and January 2012," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.

Before 2012, the most recent snowfall in this region appears to have occurred in February 1979.

The desert saw snow due to cold air aloft associated with a surface storm drifting from Spain into northern Algeria.

"The cold pool of air coupled with precipitation from the surface storm led to precipitation falling as snow instead of rain. The same feature responsible for the snow over the Sahara brought the heavy snow to the Alps earlier this week," Nicholls said.

The snowcover melted away by nighttime.

On Sunday, snow fell in one of the most unlikely places on Earth. Ain Sefra, an Algerian town in the Sahara Desert, got a couple inches of the white stuff. It clung to the dunes for an hour and a half before melting. pic.twitter.com/nJMB0J0RvH

— Shahid Mahmood (@ImagesOfHistory) January 9, 2018

Snow in Sahara desert... now you saw everything🌞❄️❄️❄️#snow #desert pic.twitter.com/yZKYlMey8g

— Alexey Lyolik 🌎🌍🌏 (@alexeylyolik) January 9, 2018

Snow in the Sahara . . . A perfect place for a new ski area. pic.twitter.com/UlDOR1QIPd

— Pam and David Cooper (@ThePathofPeace) January 8, 2018

How to visit the Sahara’s snow-capped sand dunes https://t.co/F2GXdpP39O pic.twitter.com/8s2jh8YsYg

— Standard News (@standardnews) January 10, 2018

Algerian Sahara under snow this morning ♥ Breathtaking views pic.twitter.com/3PI6IUraI6

— Fella 🌺 فلّة (@Fella_Bentoumi) January 7, 2018

It snowed for the first time in 40 years in the Sahara. So beautiful, snow and sand. pic.twitter.com/2t3Ja3b3qI

— Michael Zylstra (@Zeddie101) January 9, 2018

Rare #snow covers the #Sahara #Desert in #Algeria – Second year in a row after 40 years of absence https://t.co/5v81PrFb0s via @Strange_Sounds pic.twitter.com/1arXOMEAKb

— Strange Sounds (@Strange_Sounds) January 7, 2018

Snow in the Sahara: Rare snowfall blankets sand dunes in the desert town of Aïn Séfra in northwest Algeria. https://t.co/NV4N4YssIF pic.twitter.com/mvWKTJtH9G

— ABC News (@ABC) January 9, 2018
Screen Shot 2018-01-10 at 1.46.28 PM.png

Image via Hamouda ben jerad DZ photography

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AccuWeather Weather News Photos: Rare snow falls in the Sahara Desert for the 4th time since 1979
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