Photos: Snowfall in the world's largest Sahara Desert

Surprisingly, this is not the first time.

Snowfall in deserts across the Middle East have been making headlines for the past few years, both surprising and fascinating people all over the world.
This time, it is snowing in the world's largest desert - The Sahara Desert!
It is just the second time in living memory that snow has fallen, with the last occasion being in February 1979, Daily Mail reported.
The pictures were taken by amateur photographer Karim Bouchetata in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, earlier this week, where snow covered the red sand dunes in the world's largest hot desert.
Snow was last seen in Ain Sefra, which is known as 'The Gateway to the Desert', on February 18, 1979 - when the snow storm lasted just half an hour. This time the snow stayed for a day in the town.
Commenting on the snow, Karim said:
'Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the dessert, it is such a rare occurrence. It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos."
The Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa and it has gone through shifts in temperature and moisture over the past few hundred thousand years.
Earlier this week, desert areas in Iraq and Syria also experienced heavy snowfall which affected many locals displaced by the war in Syria.