11 Beautiful Photos of the Sahara Desert Covered in Snow

The Sahara Desert is famous for its boiling temperatures and massive landscapes. It's home to thousands of rare species, unique plants, and a few thousand people who have become accustomed to the rough living conditions of this vast environment. But last Sunday, the locals saw a rare snow that turned their Sahara into a winter wonderland. 

The small town of Ain Sefra, in the Algerian Desert, also known as 'The Gateway to the Desert,' saw a heavy snow fall early Sunday morning that left them with a 16 inch (40.6 centimeters) white blanket. This part of the desert has seen snow fall only three times in the past 37 years (1979, 2016, 2017) and although it melted only a few hours after it fell, there was still time for children to make snow angles, make snowmen, have snowball fights, and these 11 beautiful photographs to be taken.