Just When You Thought You Knew Everything...

Today's weather has led me to write another educational piece for my blog.  I promise that the next post I write will somehow relate to my own personal travels. That said, I really hope to visit all of these places someday!

It snowed in Utah today, and although it's April 16th, that is not entirely unexpected.  Weird stuff like that happens here.  After living on the tropical isles of the South Pacific for so long, I welcome snow whenever I can get it. But you know what would be really, really weird? Incredible even? Finding snow in some tropical place like...central Africa, for example. Now that would be truly something, no?! Right. Like that would ever happen...

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So what? What's the big deal about these pictures? Surprisingly, all of these photos reveal that it DOES snow in some really exotic, tropical locations - places you thought snow would never be seen in 1,000 years.

Picture 1: Ruwenzori Mountains; Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This mountain range, located a mere 25 miles north of the equator, features mountain peaks that rise to an astounding 16,700+ feet! While most people picture equatorial Africa as endless rainforest, a peak or mountain range will occasionally rise majestically out of the lowlands and reveal snow-capped peaks.  The Ruwenzori Mountains are snow-covered year-round and feature some of Africa's only glacial fields.

Picture 2: Mzaar Ski Resort, Lebanon. It turns out that people from the Middle East can stay in their own backyard to ski.  Lebanon features six ski resorts that sit high in the Lebanon Mountains.  Although far north of the equator, Lebanon sits squarely in the middle of the Middle East, a region known largely for sand dunes, heat, and little moisture.

Picture 3: Puncak Jaya, Indonesia. The highest peak in a country straddling the equator, Puncak Jaya defies geographical logic. The peak is located 16,000 feet above sea level and is just one peak among many in the Maoke Mountains of New Guinea.  Although the lowland jungles surrounding the range feature some of Earth's most pristine and untouched rainforests, the Maoke Mountains receive significant snowfall each winter.

Picture 4: Oukaïmden Ski Area, Morocco. Despite overlooking the endless sand dunes of the notoriously hot-and-dry Sahara desert, the Atlas Mountains of Morocco receive enough snow to operate several ski areas in the winter.

Picture 5: Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Perhaps a location most closely associated with sea, sand, and palm trees, Hawaii also receives snow.  The mountain tops of the Big Island regularly receive snow in the winter.  Though the snow-totals aren't grand, there is enough for the intrepid snowboarder to attempt a small descent.

 

Now you know.  It really does snow in some of the most unbelievable locations.