Unexpected surprise: Snow covered the streets of Riyadh!

Written By سنان خلف on 2025/07/10

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Arab Weather - Sinan Khalaf - Imagine waking up on a winter morning in Riyadh, the Saudi capital known for its hot summers and dry desert climate, to find the ground covered in a white layer of snow. The unusual sight raises questions: Could this really happen? Has Riyadh ever experienced snowfall?

 

Is it possible for it to snow in Riyadh?

First, we must understand that Riyadh is located within a hot and dry desert climate most of the year, where hot air masses and low humidity prevail. However, the city may be hit by bitterly cold polar air masses coming from the north and northeast in the winter.

 

However, for snow to fall, the presence of cold weather alone is not sufficient. Sufficient moisture in the atmosphere and the presence of rising air currents are required to allow the formation of clouds carrying snow. Because these elements rarely combine in the skies over Riyadh, snowfall remains an exceptional and very rare event.

 

Documents and facts: Snow fell on Riyadh on January 3, 1973.

Although this event is rare, the city of Riyadh witnessed documented snowfall on January 3, 1973 AD (Rabi’ al-Thani 29, 1392 AH).
On that day, the snowfall accumulated in areas north and west of Riyadh, such as Diriyah, covering the ground in a 20-centimeter-thick layer of white snow that lasted for hours. This followed a days-long low-pressure system accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures and unusually high humidity. The event was documented by Al-Jazirah newspaper at the time.

 

 

When looking at archival maps from that period, we see a very rare surge of a very cold, polar-originated air mass coming through central and eastern Russia towards Central Asian countries and Iran, descending deep into Saudi Arabia. This led to a sharp and unprecedented drop in temperatures in most of the Kingdom's cities.

 

 

What if it snows in Riyadh today?

If this phenomenon were to recur today, it would pose a major challenge to the city, as snowfall is expected to lead to:

In return, it will be a rare opportunity to experience new climates and better understand the effects of climate change on desert regions.

 

Does climate change affect the chances of snowfall?

As global climate change continues, we may witness an increase in extreme weather events. However, forecasts indicate that the region's climate is heading toward further warming, reducing the likelihood of future snowfall. But nature is never without surprises, and who knows? The future may hold white surprises in the heart of the desert!

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.


Browse on the official website



Video: A rare phenomenon astonishes Jeddah residents this morning: A `white cloud` creeps in from the sea. What is it really about?Drought is hitting Lebanon's largest lake, Lake Qaraoun, and heralds an imminent environmental and agricultural disaster.8 Arab countries will be affected by seasonal rains during the weekend.A hot air mass is positioned in the south of the Kingdom and will get closer in the coming days. Will it develop into a heat wave?Global warming and scarcity of rainy seasons threaten to dry up the Dead Sea. What impact will this have on the region's climate?Thunderstorms are expected to hit the Sultanate of Oman in the coming days, including these areas:Blowing dust affects parts of the Makkah region, with near-zero horizontal visibility in some areas.Cold and wet weather blankets Tristan da Cunha Island, the most remote permanent human settlement on Earth.