When snow covered RAK mountains on one of UAE coldest days ever
The UAE experienced one of its coldest days ever on January 24, 2009 when people were amazed to see pictures showing the snow-covered mountains of Ras Al Khaimah.
The temperature plunged to -3℃ during an intense cold spell the previous night (January 23). The highest point of the Jais Mountain cluster reached 5,700 feet while being completely covered with snow that stretched over five kilometres.
Major Saeed Rashid Al Yamahi who managed the RAK Police Air Wing observed 20 cm of snow covering the entire area during his helicopter flight over Jais Mountains.
The morning view revealed an incredible scene with the mountain surrounded by snow and the whole area blanketed by sparkling white snow. He explained that snow started falling at 3pm on Friday afternoon and escalated into heavy snowfall at 8pm continuing through midnight to blanket the entire region.
The Jais Mountain cluster recorded extremely cold daytime temperatures which only reached 1℃ by the afternoon of January 24.
When we returned from the mountain this afternoon the snow had not melted yet. Major Al Yamahi stated the temperature remained below freezing at the summit with potential snowfall expected tonight.
According to M V Varghese from the RAK Airport Meteorological Office, the combination of rain along with cold easterly winds and low-lying clouds likely caused a temperature drop in the mountainous regions.
Not the first time
Snowfall was not an unfamiliar event for Ras Al Khaimah. The mountains in the emirates experienced heavy snowfall on December 28, 2004.
Major Al Yamahi recalled: Major Al Yamahi remembered flying to the area in 2004 during snowfall but observed that the snowfall in January 2009 was much larger and lasted longer.
The Jais mountain resident Rashed Mohammed stated snowfall in the mountains was atypical except during local hailstorms known as barad. A blanket of snow roughly 10 cm thick covered the whole mountaintop during this event.
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