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Image taken: 2nd March 2023 SNOW WAY! The surreal site of snow-draped cacti in Arizona???s Sonoran Desert was captured in breath-taking detail by Jack Dykinga last week. The scenes, which meteorologists have described as ???once in a generation??? demonstrate a rare convergence of nature???s extremes. The Sonoran desert is typically known for its arid sub-tropical climate. Even in winter, days are sunny and mild. But this month the area saw 2-4 inches of snow that lasted about 4 hours. Dykinga, who has been photographing the Sonorn Desert since 1976, says the last big snow was a full decade ago. He described this year???s otherworldly scenes as ???pure magic, seemingly out of place and strikingly beautiful.??? Before the snow arrived, the Desert looked completely different, boasting an explosion of flowers and clear blue skies. The reason for the uncharacteristic snowfall is not fully understood. The current La Ni??a event (a cyclic weather pattern that influences global weather) is partly responsible, coupled with a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean and cold air migrating south from the Arctic. Climate change also means extreme weather events are becoming more likely.

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Rare photograph of snow in the usually baking hot Sonoran desert

This striking image shows the fleeting moment that the Sonoran desert in a parched corner of North America was blanketed in 10 centimetres of snow

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Environment

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TOPSHOT - An aerial photo taken on February 14, 2023 shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier. - New Zealand declared a national state of emergency on February 14 as Cyclone Gabrielle swept away roads, inundated homes and left more than 100,000 people without power. - New Zealand OUT (Photo by AFP) / New Zealand OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

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3d illustration. Set of a three small laboratory test tubes with different colored liquids on an isolated background. Science and laboratory equipment concept.

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Features

MAMMOTH LAKES, CA - JULY 28: An aerial view of a forest killed by carbon dioxide near drought-shrunken Horseshoe Lake which may again release deadly levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, on July 28, 2022 near Mammoth Lakes, California. During a series of earthquakes in 1989 and 1990, magma movement opened underground cracks that began releasing Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas that killed a nearby section of forest. The invisible, odorless and tasteless gas is heavier than air and tends to settle over the lake and in snow, and could quickly prove deadly to humans in large amounts. The overwhelming majority of climate-effecting greenhouse gas emissions by humans is carbon dioxide. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Environment

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