SKIING SAHARAN SAND
Powder with topping of Saharan sand…
In a season of weather extremes, sands from Morocco were deposited on the Alps last month, creating an decidedly orange ski experience
Members lucky enough to have been skiing in France and Switzerland in mid-March might have found themselves shredding powder with a topping of Saharan sand. The phenomenon saw storms carry fine orange sand from Africa over 1,500 miles to the Alps, as captured by mountain photographer Melody Sky in this beautiful image of Verbier. A low-pressure system over Morocco drove the dust storm north, as part of a warm front, up over Spain, France and the Alps. The result was an eerie orange glow in the mountains and a cover of dust on top of the snow, turning the mountains terracotta and setting the sky aflame. Ski Club Members across France and Switzerland reported a crust of sand on top of warming snow, creating a unique challenge for skiers and snowboarders everywhere. Once cut through, however, the crisp white of the snow underneath created a fantastic canvas of waves and stripes across the mountain. These dust storms are not uncommon, with similar events happening every couple of years or so, the most recent being during last season.
* Ski Club Members can enjoy a 20% discount on Melody Sky’s Saharan storm prints by visiting melodysky.com and entering the code SAHARASKY20.