Africa is widely associated with warm temperatures, deserts and tropical weather, but parts of the continent experience snowfall, particularly in high-altitude mountainous areas and during unusually cold winter weather systems.
Countries such as Lesotho, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania have recorded snowfall, while some of Africa’s highest peaks remain covered in snow and ice.
Some of the continent’s most notable snow-covered mountains are located close to the Equator, including Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kenya and the Rwenzori Mountains along the Uganda-DR Congo border.
Here are 10 African countries where snowfall or permanent snow and ice has been recorded:
1. Kenya
Kenya is home to Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain, rising to 5,199 metres.
Its highest peaks have historically been covered by glaciers, although the glaciers are rapidly retreating. Snow and ice can still be found around the mountain’s highest elevations.
2. Lesotho
Lesotho is one of Africa’s most well-known destinations for natural snowfall. Its mountainous landscape and high elevation result in particularly cold winters, with snow frequently falling in the highlands.
The country is also home to Afriski Mountain Resort, located at about 3,200 metres above sea level in the Maluti Mountains. Winter temperatures can fall well below freezing between June and August, with regular snowfall.
3. Tanzania
Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, standing at 5,895 metres.
The mountain’s summit is famously covered in snow and ice, making it one of the continent’s most spectacular examples of a snow-covered landscape in an equatorial region.
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Snow and permanent ice can be found in the Rwenzori Mountains along the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The mountain range is particularly remarkable because its snow- and glacier-covered peaks are located only a few kilometres from the Equator.
5. Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s high-altitude mountains can also experience snowfall.
The Simien Mountains, one of the country’s most dramatic highland regions, can experience snow and ice at its highest elevations despite Ethiopia’s location close to the Equator.
6. Libya
Snowfall may appear unusual in Libya because much of the country is covered by desert, but the mountainous northeast has experienced snow during severe winter weather.
The Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, or Green Mountain, has recorded snowfall during particularly cold weather systems.
7. Uganda
Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains are another unusual location for snow in Africa.
The range rises above 5,000 metres and has glaciers and snow at its highest elevations. Its proximity to the Equator makes the presence of permanent snow and ice particularly remarkable.
8. Algeria
Mountainous areas of northern Algeria can receive snowfall during winter.
The Djurdjura Mountains, part of the Tellian Atlas range, regularly experience winter snow at higher elevations. The country’s mountainous and highland areas can have significantly colder and wetter winters than its desert regions.
9. Tunisia
Snowfall can occur in the mountainous northwest of Tunisia, particularly around Aïn Draham and the Khroumerie region.
Although snowfall is relatively uncommon compared with countries such as Lesotho and Morocco, winter weather has occasionally left parts of the mountainous region covered in snow.
10. Egypt
Egypt is predominantly hot and arid, but snowfall has occasionally been recorded in the high-altitude Sinai Mountains.
Mount Sinai and the higher peaks around Saint Catherine can experience snow during particularly cold winter conditions.
Why does it snow in Africa?
The main reasons are altitude and weather patterns.
Africa’s highest mountains reach elevations where temperatures can fall below freezing, allowing snow and ice to form even in countries close to or around the Equator.
In northern and southern parts of the continent, seasonal winter weather systems can also bring snowfall to mountainous areas.
However, snowfall does not occur across these countries generally. In most cases, it is restricted to particular mountains, highlands or areas affected by unusually cold weather.
Despite being the world’s hottest continent overall, Africa’s diverse geography means that snowy landscapes can be found in some of its highest regions.
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains on the Uganda-DR Congo border demonstrate how altitude can create extremely cold environments even within tropical Africa.