Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Snow has fallen in Chile's Atacama Desert — the driest desert in the world — creating a surreal and rare natural spectacle, Azernews reports.

“It’s unbelievable! The Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, is covered in snow!” reads the caption accompanying a viral video.

The footage shows snow blanketing the desert’s iconic sand dunes, creating a striking contrast between white snow and reddish-brown earth. According to the video's author, this is the first significant snowfall in the Atacama in a decade.

The Atacama Desert receives less than 2 mm of rain per year in some areas, and parts of it have gone without measurable rainfall for hundreds of years. The rare snowfall is believed to be caused by an unusual combination of a cold front from the Antarctic region and moisture from the Pacific Ocean — a meteorological event that happens extremely rarely.

Scientists say such events may be increasing in frequency due to climate variability, although it remains unclear whether this particular snowfall is linked to long-term climate change.

Regardless of the cause, the snow-covered desert has amazed locals and scientists alike, turning one of the most arid landscapes on the planet into a temporary winter wonderland.