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A Dusting of Snow in the Sahara

For the second time in three years, snow has accumulated in the desert near the northern Algerian town of Ain Sefra. Sometimes called the "gateway to the desert," the town of 35,000 people sits between the Sahara and the Atlas Mountains. On January 8, 2018, Landsat 8 captured data for these natural-color images of the snow in the Sahara. According to news and social media accounts, anywhere from 4 to 12 inches of snow accumulated on January 8 on some higher desert elevations (1000 meters or more above sea level). Snow in the Sahara and other parts of North Africa is infrequent, but not unprecedented. Measurable snow fell near Ain Sefra in December 2016. Substantial snow also blanketed the Atlas Mountains in Morocco in February 2012 and January 2005. NASA/UPI

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