Snow blankets Morocco's High Atlas region as cold front moves in

Morocco’s High Atlas region received heavy snowfall over the weekend, as a cold front brought snow, rain and strong winds to mountainous areas across the country.

Visitors flocked to see the rare white blanket on Morocco’s peaks as the snow transformed the highlands into a striking winter landscape.

But the wintry weather also disrupted travel in some areas, including the Tizi n’Tichka pass that links the cities of Marrakech and Ouarzazate.

Authorities deployed snow crews to clear the roads and issued safety warnings to drivers in the challenging conditions.

Changing climate

Climate change has made weather patterns more unpredictable in Morocco. North Africa has been plagued by several years of drought, hardening soils and making mountains, deserts and plains more susceptible to flooding.

Morocco has had a lot of heavy rain since the start of December. After years of drought, the wet weather has helped replenish dams and recharge groundwater. But it also led to dangerous flash flooding in the coastal city of Safi that left 37 people dead.

Last year, floods in normally arid mountains and desert areas killed nearly two dozen people in Morocco and Algeria.