Africa’s immense geographical diversity includes mountain ranges high enough to capture and hold snow and ice. While snow is not widespread, it exists reliably in specific, high-altitude regions. The presence of snow in Africa is primarily a function of elevation, latitude, and the influence of temperate weather systems at the continent’s extremities.
Regions of Seasonal Snowfall
The most consistent snowfall occurs in the mountain systems situated near the northern and southern tips of the continent, where temperate climate influences can reach. In North Africa, the Atlas Mountains, stretching across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, regularly receive snow during the Northern Hemisphere winter. This snowfall is generally concentrated on peaks above 6,000 feet, with the heaviest accumulation typically occurring between December and February. The High Atlas region of Morocco, for example, is home to ski resorts like Oukaimeden, which operates due to the regular winter precipitation delivered by cold fronts extending from the North Atlantic.
On the opposite end of the continent, the Drakensberg mountain range in Southern Africa sees snow during the Southern Hemisphere winter. This period runs primarily from June through August, with the most likely month for snowfall being July. The highest areas, particularly within Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains, which include the Afriski Mountain Resort, experience predictable winter snowfalls. The snow here results from the passage of cold fronts and mid-latitude cyclones moving eastward across the South Atlantic Ocean. This seasonal snow melts fully during the warmer summer months.
Equatorial Permanent Snow and Ice
The existence of permanent snow and glacier ice near the equator is perhaps the most surprising example of African snow, made possible only by extreme elevation. Three specific mountain massifs in East Africa host these year-round ice fields, despite their tropical latitude.
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the continent’s highest peak, maintains a residual ice cap and snowfield at its summit, Uhuru Peak, which stands at 19,341 feet (5,895 meters). The sheer altitude forces temperatures to remain below freezing, even under the intense equatorial sun. Mount Kenya, the second tallest peak at 17,057 feet (5,199 meters), also supports several glaciers at its highest points. Similarly, the Rwenzori Mountains, or “Mountains of the Moon,” on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are home to permanent snow and glaciers on peaks reaching 16,762 feet (5,109 meters). These three areas are the only locations in Africa with permanent ice, though the high-altitude glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to rising temperatures.
Climatic Factors Enabling African Snow
The fundamental principle that allows snow to exist in Africa is the atmospheric temperature lapse rate, which dictates that air temperature decreases with increasing altitude. For every 1,000 feet (about 300 meters) of ascent, the air temperature drops by an average of about 3.5 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (6.5 to 10 degrees Celsius), depending on moisture content. This cooling effect is powerful enough to overcome the warm temperatures associated with lower latitudes, creating an alpine climate at the highest elevations.
However, cold air alone is insufficient; moisture is required to produce snow. In the northern and southern extremes, this moisture is primarily delivered by mid-latitude weather systems that move in from the sea. In the tropical, high-altitude regions, the intense cold combines with moisture-laden air that is forced upward as it encounters the massive mountain slopes. This process of orographic lift causes the moist air to expand and cool, leading to condensation and precipitation that falls as snow at the frigid summits.