Fact check: It is snowing in Saudi Arabia…and it is not rare
Few videos showing snowfall in the desert are being shared with a claim that it is snowing in Saudi Arabia....
By Satya Priya BN Published on 22 Feb 2021 1:40 PM IST
Few videos showing snowfall in the desert are being shared with a claim that it is snowing in Saudi Arabia.
One such video shows camels sitting in the sand being capped by the snow.
Few shared with caption 'Hey climate deniers — it's snowing now in Saudi Arabia...'
"'The desert is usually a wonderful place to go for a retreat this time of year because it's cool enough to be quite comfortable when out hiking or rock climbing during the day (except it gets cold at night when you'll need some cold-weather gear). But this last winter storm that enveloped a large part of the earth's northern hemisphere even hit the Arabian Desert where the cover and profile photos were taken. Some really confused camels there were thinking where are we? What's this stuff?" reads a caption.
Several other videos showing the desert region capped by snow are also shared on social media. Users claim that there was a snowstorm in Saudi Arabia... "The world has gone mad," reads the message
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Fact Check:
The claim that snowfall in Saudi Arabia is very rare and it happened only this year is FALSE.
According to several news reports, parts of Saudi Arabia were blanketed by snow especially in the northwestern regions such as Dahr Mountains.
According to aawsat.com, Tabuk's northern region has been affected by a polar wave accompanied by heavy snowfall that capped its mountains Thursday night. Many sightseers across the Kingdom and tourists from other Gulf states visited the area to enjoy the scene.
Tabuk's snow rests on the Jabal al-Loz (Almond Mountain, named after the almond trees that can be found on the high-altitude mountain.
The international road northward towards Halat Ammar's crossing, which is 60 kilometers long, also witnessed a huge influx of sightseers visiting the Almond Mountains. The region, along with neighboring countries on the northern border see heavy snowfall around this time of the year annually.
https://english.aawsat.com/
When checked several websites, we found that snowfall is common in the mountains of the northern region of Saudi Arabia and occurs annually.
The Visit Saudi.com website clearly states: "To experience a winter snowscape like no other, head north in Saudi. Yes, snow does fall in Saudi, particularly in the mountains of the northern regions. Enjoy views of frosted shrubs and blanketed mountain peaks and watch camels shuffling through winter's magical flurries. When snow falls in Saudi, the excitement among locals is contagious. Celebrate a seasonal dusting like a local by going on a mountain drive northwest of Tabuk, or saddle up an Arabian camel for a winter weather experience you won't forget. Then, choose from a wide variety of other seasonal activities, including hiking, camping, and sledding."
According to the website, snow activities like sledding are common on the mountains northwest of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/
According to Britannica.com, winters are invigoratingly cool, with the coldest weather occurring at high elevations and in the far north. A minimum temperature recorded at Ṭurayf on Tapline (the Trans-Arabian Pipeline) in 1950 was 10 °F (−12 °C) and was accompanied by significant snowfall and about 1 inch (2.6 cm) of ice on ponds.
Another website Saudiseasons.com states that the winter in Saudi Arabia offers endless pleasure and an incomparable ambiance. "So if you're looking for warm sunny days, consider the Al-Nafud desert or The Rub' al Khali desert (Empty Quarter), where the sun's rays reflect off the valleys formed by running water. To enjoy the snow, you should visit Tabuk and climb the snow-covered peaks of Jabal al-Lawz," it said.
News website abc.net.au said snow is rare in Saudi Arabia, but it is not completely out of the ordinary. The country last experienced comparable snowfall in April 2020.
Therefore, the claim that snowfall in Saudi Arabia is a rare phenomenon and it happened only this year is FALSE. Snowfall occurs annually in northern regions of Saudi Arabia and the locals enjoy the snowy winters in the country.
