We're not sure if residents of the Sahara Desert were dreaming of a white Christmas, but that's what they got—for the first time in almost 40 years. The Algerian town of Ain Sefra, known as the "Gateway to the Saharan Desert," was hit by some freak snowfall on Tuesday, making for some very confused Algerians and a few gorgeous photographs. Photographer Karim Bouchetata snapped spectacular views of the red dunes and the surrounding Atlas Mountains topped with a light dusting of frost, which reportedly stuck around for about a day before eventually melting.

"Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the desert, it is such a rare occurrence," Bouchetata told The Independent. "It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos.