Rare Snow Sweeps Sahara Desert; Europe Plunges Below -30C (-22F), Sees Heavy Snow; U.S. Endures Record Cold; Rare Tashkurgan Snow; + Global Temperature Nudges Lower

Temperatures tanked to -33.9C (-29F) in Jura, as France experienced one of its coldest days in history.

Rare Snow Sweeps Sahara Desert

For the second winter running, rare snow has blanketed parts of the Sahara Desert.

On New Year’s Day, snow settled in Ain Sefra, Algeria, surprising residents in the "Gateway to the Sahara."

Photographer Karim Bouchetata captured the scene of dunes dusted white:

The snow, driven by a fierce cold wave from Europe, is a rare anomaly in the world’s largest hot desert, where summer highs regularly exceed 100F. While Ain Sefra's 3,600-foot elevation occasionally allows for snow, accumulations typically occur only once every 10 years—making two consecutive years of snowfall all the more remarkable.

Europe Plunges Below -30C (-22F), Sees Heavy Snow

Europe's cold wave has indeed been fierce, with thermometers crashing below -30C (-22F), and snow registering in the feet.

Temperatures tanked to an extraordinary -33.9C (-29F) on Saturday in Jura, as France experienced one of its coldest days in history, according to a report by The Connexion, citing Météo France. The reading, registered in the commune of Mignovillard, came close to the national record of -36.7C (-34F) set in nearby Mouthe, Doubs, back on January 13, 1967.

The deep freeze triggered high-level alerts in 30 departments across France. In Paris, authorities escalated the ‘cold and ice plan’ to level two, enforcing a 20 km/h (12 mph) reduction in speed limits on major roads from 17:00 to midnight on January 5.

As for the Alps, an already impressive 2024-25 winter season is intensifying with additional feet falling across the French, German, Austrian, and Swiss peaks with A LOT more to follow—including for Spain, Scandinavia, and the Balkans (see below).