In photos: Rare snowfall covers parts of Sahara, the hottest desert in the world

Parts of the Sahara desert experienced a rare episode of snowfall on Tuesday, covering dunes in a 16-inch layer of snow, the Independent reported on Tuesday. As temperatures rose during the course of the day, the snow began to melt.

This is the third time it has snowed in 37 years in the Algerian town of Ain Sefra. Records showed that the town experienced snowfall in 1979, 2016 and 2017.

Although snow is rare, freezing conditions do occur as the town is located between the desert and the Atlas mountains, Reuters reported.

The unexpected snowfall, however, left unprepared commuters stranded on roads temporarily, Forbes reported.