Sahara Desert Gets First Snowfall in 37 Years

The Sahara Desert experienced its first snowfall in thirty-seven years, according to images taken Monday afternoon.

It is the first time since February 1979 that snow has fallen in Ain Sefra, Algeria, a town in the Sahara Desert, the Daily Mail reports.

The last time it snowed in the area, the snow lasted for about an hour. This time, the snow remained for a day.

Karim Bouchetata, an amateur photographer, captured the images of the snowfall on the red sand dunes.

“Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the dessert [sic], it is such a rare occurrence,” Bouchetata said. “It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos,” he added.

The Telegraph reports that snow on sand dunes is rare, but is a more common occurrence on Saharan mountain ranges.

The Sahara Desert spans across most of Northern Africa and has shifted in temperature throughout the past hundred-thousand years.

Experts say the desert will become green again in about 15,000 years.