When the temperature falls below freezing, then snow will drop down from the sky. While this could lead to insane colds, the sight of snow filling your environment is would make for a wonderful scene, however, when talking about snow, it is always North American, European, and Asian countries that come to mind. In Africa, snow is quite uncommon, however, several countries like South Africa do get to see those white flakes fall during the winter season
No, it does not snow in Nigeria. Unlike temperate countries where snow is a regular occurrence during the winter season, Nigeria being a tropical country has never and will never experience snow. To understand why it does not snow in Nigeria, you need to know what snow is and the climate required for snow to fall.
What is snow?
When the temperature drops near or below zero degree Celsius, the amount of moisture in the air is reduced to a minimum to give solid precipitation which occurs as ice crystals called snow. While this brings the chills, it is a striking weather phenomenon that leads to a beautiful transformation
How Does Snow Form?
Precipitation can only fall as snow when the air temperature drops below 2 degrees Celsius. This means it doesn’t have to be zero degrees for snow to occur. In temperature countries, the temperature drops to way below zero degrees in the winter which makes it easy for slight, moderate, or heavy snow to cover the cities. Nigeria being a tropical country barely experiences these days of extreme cold. Even during the rainy and harmattan season, it is rare for the temperature to drop to two degrees Celsius.
However, there are some areas in Nigeria that could potentially experience snow, though not consistently. Some areas in the Jos Plateau and in Taraba can reach the minimum temperature required for snow to fall, however, there is yet to any record of snow falling in these areas.
How cold does it have to be to snow?
You could feel extremely cold and no snow in your area and that’s because snow can only occur at a certain temperature. For snow to happen, atmospheric water vapour needs to be frozen into ice crystals which can only happen at an extremely low temperature of below two degrees Celsius.
Note that even while the temperature drops below such levels, there are different types of snowfall that would be experienced. It could be slight, moderate, or heavy.
Conditions Required for Snow
Low – Freezing Temperature
It must be below two degrees Celsius for snow to form in the clouds and near the ground. In some cases, winter precipitation might not fall as snow but rather sleet or freezing rain.
Atmospheric Lift
This describes a phenomenon in which moist air is raised to form clouds and causes frozen precipitation. When warm air collides with cold air and is forced to rise over the frigid air mass, snow is created. This process requires low – freezing temperatures to occur.
Countries in Africa Where It Snows
There have been reports of snow in Africa, however, they are not a regular occurrence.
- In 2013, Cairo experience the beauty of Winter, an event that would take another 100 years to reoccur.
- In 2018, snow was reported in Algeria and was the fifth snowfall in 40 years in the country.
- Snow is more common in South Africa where it is almost an annual occurrence on its mountains.
Wrapping
This article should help you to understand why it doesn’t snow in Nigeria, yet it does snow in some parts of Africa. There have been rumours of snow in some parts of Nigeria, especially the Jos Plateau area, however, none of this is confirmed. You should also take note of the difference between hail and snow. Hail does occur in Nigeria and is very different from snow.
FAQs
Sorry to burst your bubbles but it doesn't snow in Nigeria and it has never snowed in the country before. Nigeria's climate is typically tropical, with high temperatures and humidity, making snowfall extremely unlikely.
What part of Africa gets snow? ›
Contrary to popular misconceptions, snowfall in Africa is not merely a myth. Lesotho, South Africa, Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania are among the African countries where snowfall graces the landscapes, offering a unique winter experience.
What is snow called in Nigeria? ›
Ibubeoyi, sinoo are the top translations of "snow" into Igbo.
Do we have winter in Nigeria? ›
As known in Nigeria, there's no winter and instead of chills and snow, we have Harmattan. The dry, dusty gusts of wind which is our winter, start mid-October until March.
What is the coldest it gets in Nigeria? ›
The rainy season in the northern part of Nigeria lasts for three to four months (June to September). The rest of the year is hot and dry with temperatures climbing as high as 40 °C (104.0 °F) . Potiskum, Yobe State in the northeast of Nigeria recorded Nigeria's lowest ever temperature of 2.8 °C (37.0 °F).
What is the coldest point in Nigeria? ›
The coldest place in Nigeria 🇳🇬 is a town named Gembu in Taraba State. It's low temperature occurs because it is located on the mambila plateau, and the temperature rarely fall below 49⁰ f or above 78⁰ f.
Does it snow in Jamaica? ›
Answer and Explanation: The Blue Mountains have been visited by snow on occasion but it does not stay on the ground for long. The Blue Mountains, which rarely dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, have been known to experience sleet as well, but most of their precipitation is in the form of rain.
Does Egypt get snow? ›
It usually snows on the Sinai mountains, but it almost never snows in the cities of Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria.
Does Kenya have snow? ›
Mount Kenya has permanent snow at its summit, so it's cold all year round. At night at the higher elevations the temperature can drop as low as -10° C. Typically the early mornings on the mountain are sunny and dry, and clouds often form by noon.
Does it hail in Nigeria? ›
Hail is another cause, which rarely occurs in parts of Nigeria, leading to damage of crops and properties.
It is hot and wet most of the year in the southeast but dry in the southwest and farther inland. A savanna climate, with marked wet and dry seasons, prevails in the north and west, while a steppe climate with little precipitation is found in the far north.
Which country is known as country of snow? ›
Snow country (雪国, yukiguni, also, more prosaically, gōsetsu chitai (豪雪地帯, "heavy snow area")) refers to areas in Japan characterized by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls.
Is it safe to visit Nigeria? ›
Nigeria - Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Updated with return to full operational status, removal of obsolete COVID-19 page links, and updates to Do Not Travel Areas. Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed gangs. Some areas have increased risk.
What language do they speak in Nigeria? ›
The official language is English, but it is spoken less frequently in rural areas and amongst people with lower education levels. Other major languages spoken include: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Kanuri, and Tiv. Nigerian Sign Language, Hausa Sign Language, and Bura Sign Language are all used in Nigeria.
What is the hottest month in Nigeria? ›
| Quick Climate Info |
|---|
| Hottest Month | March (85 °F avg) |
| Coldest Month | August (79 °F avg) |
| Wettest Month | June (7.81" avg) |
| Windiest Month | August (12 mph avg) |
1 more rowRare snow falls in South Africa
Its last recorded snowfall was in August 2012, according to data from Iowa State University's Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Cold temperature warnings issued by the South African Weather Service on July 10, 2023.
Has Nigeria ever had a tornado? ›
The great tornado : Lagos, 20th May, 1948.
Can hail fall in Nigeria? ›
Apparently, these are older people who have experienced such in Nigeria. But for some of us who weren't around in 1977 or in 1981, a hail storm in Nigeria is completely new. In Nigeria's tropical weather, hail storms aren't normal.
