On Monday, residents of Johannesburg were able to pack snowballs and watch delicate flurries float down for the first time in over a decade.
English
Johannesburg Residents Delighted by Rare Snowfall After Ten-Year Gap
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Photos captured residents’ excitement as some people tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues, while children spread their arms to make snow angels in fields blanketed with a light, white dusting.
Some took to social media, posting videos of falling snow twirled by blustery winds against an urban backdrop and gray skies.
“First time seeing/touching snow … I get so much joy from the littlest things!” one user shared joyfully on Twitter.
Jennifer Fitchett, a professor of physical geography at University of the Witwatersrand, told the South Africa Times that the region’s seasonally cold temperatures and unusually high humidity made for “perfect” snowfall conditions.
Unfortunately for those reveling in the new winter wonderland, those conditions were unlikely to last, Fitchett said.
“Our snowfall events are usually short-lived, they’re only a couple of hours. Usually our snowfalls in Johannesburg are not more than a day.”
According to the South Africa Weather Service, after a severe frost expected overnight, temperatures should increase over the coming week.
July temperatures in Johannesburg historically range from an average high of 63 degrees to a low of 36 degrees Fahrenheit, with very little precipitation.
