According to Algeria news, around 15 inches of snow fell in the region of Aïn Séfra, in the northwest part of the Sahara, on Jan 7. Frosted with snow, the orange landscape looks as if it is from an alien planet. /VCG photo

Extremely hot in the day and freezing at night, the Sahara is known for its ever-changing temperatures and its intensely dry climate. /VCG photo

Some experts cautioned against ascribing the snow in Sahara to changing climate and pollution. The Sahara is as large as the US, while there are only a few climate monitors. "It is ridiculous to say it is the first, second or the third time it snowed. Nobody could know that unless they were really there", Rein Haarsma, a climate researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute said. /VCG photo