Snow in Namibia
Most Africans have never seen snow. Even the well-travelled ones, so when snow falls in the tropics it causes quite a stir.
By Ian Rowett | Fri 10 Jun, 2011
On June 8 2011, regular, white, fluffy snow fell and covered the Namib Desert for most of the day turning the wintry brown plains a frosty white, reversing the stripes on zebras and sending off-road vehicles skidding off the road.
Incredibly, the Namibian Met Office predicted snow - akin to warning citizens of an approach storm of pigs - and the next day, there it was: pure, white snow falling from the sky in silence causing a storm of snow-covered puns in the media and a slew of emails with ‘snow in namibia???????!!!!!!!’ in the subject line.
Statistics show it snows once every 10 years in Namibia and this latest occurrence was caused by a massive cold front followed by a high pressure zone. This same front is causing havoc in South Africa with many coastal towns inundated from extreme rainfall.
Eric Husing from Namib Sky took these photos that in a day become iconic depictions of a bizarre and strangely beautiful climatic phenomenon. They were taken on the Spreetshoogte Pass that winds down from the Highlighds of Windhoek towards the low-lying Namib Desert.
Snow in the Namib Desert, Namibia
Snow in the African bush of Namibia
Snow lying along the road in the Namibia
Snow along the Spreetshoogte Pass in Namibia
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