HIBAPRESS – Ahmed Al-Musaed
The General Directorate of Meteorology revealed the scientific explanation for the snowfall in Oujda yesterday, Tuesday, January 6th, which was characterized by the convergence of several weather factors, highlighting that the snowfall in the city of Oujda is a rare phenomenon and only occurs when special weather conditions coincide. According to the National Meteorological Directorate, the snowfall that the city and its surroundings witnessed is attributed to the convergence of three precise weather conditions at the same time. This is primarily due to the arrival of a continental polar air mass, which led to a sharp drop in temperatures, reaching levels much lower than usual.
This severe cold coincided with the flow of humid currents coming from the Mediterranean Sea, which brought with it the necessary clouds and precipitation. The decisive factor was the exceptional decrease in the zero-degree Celsius level (the altitude at which water freezes), where this level dropped to low altitudes, allowing precipitation to reach the surface of the earth in the form of snow, which covered the city with white, instead of falling as rain, according to the same source. The Directorate added that although the altitude of the city of Oujda is moderate (about 500 meters), its proximity to the high plateaus and its openness to the cold north and northeast winds facilitate the leakage of cold polar air without major obstacles, which contributed to the occurrence of this snowfall. The snow thicknesses in the city of Oujda and its surroundings recorded varying levels, reaching 2 cm in the city of Oujda, 10 cm in Touissit in the province of Jerada, and 7 cm in the village of Tenessan, which belongs to the city.
