Snowfall near Aus promises another sea of flowers in the desert

Guests from Europe couldn't believe their eyes, Namibians enthusiastically shared videos: Snow fell in the desert in south-western Namibia. The Klein-Aus Vista Lodge west of Aus reported 12 mm of winter rain, which floated down from the grey sky in white flakes due to the sub-zero temperatures (windchill: minus 6 degrees).

The south of Namibia was covered by a blanket of clouds. Rainfall was reported from the Fish River Canyon near the border with South Africa and from Sossusvlei in the Namib, around 60 km east of the coast.

The clouds did not reach Windhoek. However, after several mild weeks, the lowest temperatures there also dropped to below zero overnight.

Snow is nothing new for the residents of Aus. The area is located in the winter rain zone. When a low-pressure system with rain clouds and a cold front with icy air from Antarctica coincide, it can lead to freezing rain or snowfall. This last happened around two years ago (see report from Namibian.org).

Blooming desert until early September

If there is sufficient precipitation, whether rain, freezing rain or snow, a great natural spectacle follows weeks later. The mountain slopes and plains on the edge of the Succulent Karoo in the Namib are transformed into a sea of yellow and purple flowers. Particularly prominent is the yellow 'Aus Daisy' (Arctotis fastuosa).

"At the end of May and in June, we already had 42 mm of rain," says Piet Swiegers from Klein-Aus Vista in response to a question from Namibian.org. "This has already triggered a mass bloom. Yesterday there was another 12 mm of rainfall. The outlook for a prolonged flowering season lasting until the beginning of September is definitely a given."

Swiegers describes more about the bloom and the individual succulents in a post on the Facebook portal 'Padlangs'. Photos and videos of the winter rains can be found on the Facebook groups 'Namibië Reënval und Namibië Reën / Weer.