The answer to whether it snows in Africa is definitively yes. Snowfall is a regular, though spatially limited, occurrence that defies the common perception of a uniformly hot climate. This phenomenon is almost entirely confined to Africa’s highest elevations, where frigid air masses persist year-round or during regional winter seasons. Altitude, rather than proximity to the equator, dictates local climate conditions, allowing the highest peaks to create isolated, cold weather systems far above the hot plains below.
Geographical Regions of Snowfall
Snowfall occurs in three distinct geographical regions across the continent, determined by the presence of sufficiently high mountain ranges.
North Africa
In North Africa, the Atlas Mountains, which stretch across Morocco and Algeria, receive consistent seasonal snow that allows for winter sports. The highest peak in this range, Mount Toubkal, is regularly covered in snow from November through April during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter months. This region receives cold fronts sweeping across the Mediterranean, providing the necessary moisture and temperature drop for precipitation to fall as snow.
East Africa
The most prominent snowfall occurs in East Africa, featuring the continent’s three highest peaks: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kenya in Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains, shared by Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These colossal mountains, though located near the equator, harbor permanent snowfields and glaciers on their summits. Kilimanjaro, reaching 5,895 meters (19,341 feet), retains a year-round ice cap, offering a stark contrast to the surrounding Tanzanian plains.
Southern Africa
Further south, the Drakensberg Mountains, which form the border between South Africa and Lesotho, experience regular seasonal snowfall during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. Lesotho, a nation entirely situated at high altitudes, is often referred to as the “Kingdom in the Sky.” Snow typically falls in the Drakensberg between June and August, providing a brief period of frost and snow cover, particularly on the highest ridges.
The Role of Elevation in Tropical Climates
The occurrence of snow near the equator is explained by the environmental lapse rate, a fundamental principle of atmospheric physics. This term describes the rate at which air temperature decreases with an increase in altitude. On average, the temperature drops by approximately 6.5 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 meters (or 3.56 degrees Fahrenheit per 1,000 feet) that one ascends.
This steady temperature reduction means that even if the air at the base of an equatorial mountain is warm, the temperature at 4,000 meters will be close to freezing. On Africa’s highest peaks, such as Kilimanjaro, the ground-level temperatures might range between 21°C and 27°C, but the summit experiences nighttime lows reaching -29°C. The extreme height forces the air to cool significantly through adiabatic expansion, allowing moisture to freeze and fall as snow, typically above 4,500 meters in the tropics. This mechanism ensures high-altitude zones function as isolated, cold microclimates, regardless of the warm latitude.
The Difference Between Glacial and Seasonal Snow
The snow found in Africa is classified into two major categories based on longevity: seasonal snow and permanent glacial ice.
Seasonal Snow
Seasonal snow is prevalent in the Atlas Mountains and the Drakensberg range, where cold, moist air masses deposit snow that melts relatively quickly during the subsequent warmer months. In the Drakensberg, for example, snow cover typically lasts for a few days up to about ten days during mid-winter, sustaining a temporary winter landscape. This snow is directly related to annual weather patterns and is not compacted into permanent ice.
Permanent Glacial Ice
In contrast, the East African peaks are home to true glaciers and permanent ice caps, which are remnants of compacted snow that has accumulated over thousands of years. These glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains are indicators of global climate change. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Kilimanjaro has lost over 90% of its glacial coverage, and Mount Kenya has lost about 95% of its ice area. Scientific predictions indicate that Mount Kenya’s glaciers may vanish entirely by 2030, while Kilimanjaro’s could disappear by 2040. The rapid retreat of these ice masses threatens water security for millions of people in Tanzania and Kenya who rely on the runoff to feed local rivers.