Saharan sand colors snow in Czech mountains

Dust particles from sand storms in North Africa have painted parts of Europe in sepia tones over the weekend, including mountain areas of the Czech Republic.

Amber-colored snow has been reported in Krkonoše and Krušné hory this morning, Dagmar Honsová from Meteopress tells Novinky.cz. Similar phenomena were reported in the areas last year.

"Due to the windy weather, a large amount of dust particles entered the air above the Sahara, which traveled over Europe through airflow from the south," says Honsová.

"The dust particles were washed out of the air by precipitation and they are clearly visible on the snow."

"Saharan sand has arrived over Central Europe across the Mediterranean Sea, giving the snow a hint of orange," writes the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

The colored snow has also been reported in Děčín, Karlovy Vary, Frýdek-Místek, and Bruntál, among other areas. Dust particles in the air have also resulted in amber-colored skies at these locations, particularly visible at sunrise and sunset.

Orange skies and sandy snow have also been reported elsewhere in Europe, including areas of France and Switzerland.

The Guardian has posted a photo gallery covering the unusual phenomenon.

Though it occurs regularly, the amount of dust particles in the snow this weekend is much higher than usual.

The Saharan sand can travel far: in 2016, it was reported 4,000 miles away off the Texas Gulf Coast.