Breathtaking photos show first snow in Sahara Desert in decades

Snow is shown on the dunes of the Sahara Desert near Ain Sefra, Algeria, on Dec. 19, 2016. (Karim Bouchetata / Facebook)

It snowed in the Sahara Desert this week.

A light dusting fell over the famous red sand dunes of the Sahara before dawn on Dec. 19, creating a spectacular view for those who woke up early in the Algerian town of Ain Sefra. The snow lasted until approximately 10 a.m. before it melted, according to photographer Karim Bouchetata.

Bouchetata was one of the lucky few to witness the event, which he described as "wonderful" in a phone conversation with CTVNews.ca. He also snapped several incredible photos showing the red sand swirling with the white snow on the windswept dunes.

"I hope it will be the photo of the year," he said.

It's been 37 years since it last snowed in the Algerian part of the Sahara.

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, spanning 9.4 million square kilometres across most of North Africa. Although known for its unforgiving climate, the desert is home to dozens of species. It even rains there occasionally.

The average monthly temperature in Ain Sefra dips to a few degrees above freezing.

December and January are typically the coldest months in Ain Sefra, where the average minimum temperature dips to around 3-5 degrees Celsius, with daily highs around 14 Celsius. The mercury often rises past 40 degrees Celsius through the summer months, with August being the hottest.