Here's what the Sahara desert town of Ain Sefra looks like after its first snow since 1979

Impact

The Algerian town of Ain Sefra, located in northern Africa's Sahara desert, got snow for the first time in 37 years on Monday. Karim Bouchetata, an amateur photographer who lives in Ain Sefra, grabbed his camera and photographed the brief dusting.

Karim Bouchetata

The last time the Saharan town saw snow was in 1979, when a half-hour snowstorm reportedly stopped traffic.

Bouchetata told the Independent, "Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the desert. It is such a rare occurrence."

Karim Bouchetata

"It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos," Bouchetata said.

The town of Ain Sefra, known as the "Gateway to the Desert," can dip to below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius), but snow is a shock because the Sahara is one of the driest places on Earth. The town has a population of about 35,000 and is located in the western part of Algeria, near the Moroccan border.

Karim Bouchetata

You can view all of Karim's photos of the snowfall in Ain Sefra here.