When it snows in South Africa, people go crazy, because snowfall in South Africa is a rare phenomenon, with significant snow events having occurred only a few times throughout history. Not much work is achieved on snow days, what with office staff running outside to catch snowflakes and take photos.
My original article was researched and written in August 2012 and posted it on my old blog on 08 August 2012. It was the first such article on the history of snowfall in South Africa (1853-1990) and has been copied by many. Now updated my original article with more information.
South Africa experiences typical weather for the Southern Hemisphere, with the coldest days in June-August. South Africa is a sunny country, averaging 8-10 daily sunshine hours in most regions. It’s a dry country, classified as semi-arid. South Africa is famous for its sunshine - an average of 2,500 hours of sun every year.
The average annual rainfall for South Africa is about 464 mm (compared to a global average of 950 mm but large and unpredictable variations are common. Overall, rainfall is greatest in the east and gradually decreases westward, with some semi-desert areas along the western edge of South Africa.
For most of the country, rain falls mainly in the summer months with brief afternoon thunderstorms. The exception is the Western Cape and its capital city Cape Town, where the climate is Mediterranean. The Western Cape gets all of its rain in winter.
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South Africa has typical weather for the Southern Hemisphere, with the coldest days in June-August. On the central plateau, which includes the Free State and Gauteng provinces, the altitude keeps the average temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F); Johannesburg, for example, lies at 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). In winter temperatures can drop below freezing, also due to altitude.
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Winter temperatures may reach the freezing point at high altitude, but are at their most mild in coastal regions, particularly KwaZulu Natal Province and perhaps the Eastern Cape. Cold and warm coastal currents running north-west and north-east respectively account for the difference in climates between west and east coasts.
South Africa experiences a high degree of sunshine with rainfall about half of the global average, increasing from west to east, and with semi-desert regions in the north-west.
Climate change in South Africa is leading to increased temperatures and rainfall variability. Evidence shows that extreme weather events are becoming more prominent due to climate change. This is a critical concern for South Africans as climate change will affect the overall status and wellbeing of the country, for example with regards to water resources.
Regions Prone to Snowfall
South Africa is one of the most likely African nations to receive snow, particularly in the mountains. The Drakensberg Mountains, Lesotho border areas, and high altitude passes such as Lootsberg and Wapadsberg typically get snowed during the winter months (June-August).
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The Drakensberg has three snow seasons: early-snow season (April-June), mid-snow season (July and August), and late-snow season (September and October).
Fully landlocked to South Africa, Lesotho is known as the "Kingdom in the Sky" because of its elevation.
In the winter months, snow collects on the high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg. Mountain snowfall generally means freezing conditions across the rest of the country.
The coldest place in South Africa is the Northern Cape town of Sutherland, in the western Roggeveld Mountains.
Climatic zones are often referred to by the seasonal pattern of rainfall. The winter rainfall region is confined to a relatively small area in the south-west, the Western Cape area, where gentle rain falls from May to August but the summers are dry.
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The summer and winter rainfall region is the Eastern Cape. The arid regions are in the north-west, with the driest areas being the north-west coast.
The Highveld is the eastern plateau area of South Africa. It is typified by Johannesburg, at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). The former central business district is found on the south side of the prominent ridge called the Witwatersrand and the terrain falls to the north and south.
Johannesburg enjoys a dry, sunny climate, with the exception of occasional late afternoon downpours in the summer months of October to April. Temperatures in the city are usually fairly mild due to the city's high altitude, with the average maximum daytime temperature in January of 26 °C (78.8 °F), dropping to an average maximum of around 16 °C (60.8 °F) in June.
Winter is the sunniest time of the year, with cool days and cold nights. The temperature occasionally drops to below freezing at night, causing frost.
Snow is a rare occurrence, with snowfall having been experienced in May 1956, August 1962, June 1964, September 1981, August 2006 (light), on 27 June 2007, accumulating up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in the southern suburbs, on 7 August 2012, and most recently on 10 July 2023.
Regular cold fronts pass over in winter bringing very cold southerly winds but usually clear skies.
During an anomalous meteorological event, in November 2024, it snowed on areas of South Africa for the first time in 85 years. Snowfall was mostly confined to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces, as well as areas up high such as the Lootsberg and Wapadsberg passes. Snow fell on the roads and rooftops, in vehicles, even on Table Mountain.
Although not exactly a rarity in the highlands of the nation, snow in November is a rarity in its timing and intensity. This snowfall of November marks a unique, ahistoric moment of nature and profound science about climate.
Historical Snowfall Events in South Africa
Snowfall in South Africa is a rare phenomenon, with significant snow events having occurred only a few times throughout history.
The most notable snowfall events include May 1956, August 1962, June 1964, September 1981, and a light snowfall in August 2006. Other significant occurrences include 7 August 2012 and more recently, 10 July 2023.
Here’s a detailed look at some historical snowfall events in South Africa:
- 1840s: In the 1840s, John Montgomery, founder of Burghersdorp in the Cape Colony, purchased the farm Zuurfontein (Doornhoek).
- 06 May 1851: Snow lay thickly on the hills overlooking the Fort Napier military camp in present-day Napierville.
- 03 September 1853: A snowstorm occurred in the Eastern Cape. Hundreds of people froze to death in the districts of Graaff-Reinet, Burgersdorp and Somerset East.
- 04 July 1864: Heavy snowfall covered the hills above Healdtown.
- July and August 1869: Pietermaritzburg experienced intense cold. Ice was several inches thick, and heavy snow falls covered the hills beyond Fort Napier. Frances Colenso, the wife of Bishop John Colenso, wrote in a letter dated 18 September 1869 that from Bishopstowe on the eastern side of Pietermaritzburg, she saw snow on the neighbouring hills which lasted for more than a week. Snow was lightly spread over the hills overlooking the Town Bush valley.
- 29 April 1871: The Winterberg mountains were covered with snow this week.
- Mid-September 1873: Snow was reported in Pietermaritzburg. There were severe losses by transport riders under the Katberg mountain, and to farmers on the Bontebok flats. Mr S. Miles lost 30 oxen.
- 11 July 1874: The Katberg was covered with snow. Phillipstown received a considerable amount of snow. Traffic was impeded, and there were serious losses of stock.
- 11-14 July 1886: Snow fell from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday morning in the Eastern Cape. At Graaff-Reinet the snow was lying 30cm deep, residents who had been living there for more than 60 years had never seen anything like it.
- 17-18 August 1888: On Mr J W King’s farm, Rietfontein, which was occupied by Mr S King, the snow had been falling all day Friday. That evening, a strong wind sprang up and by early morning it was a gale. The roof of the house was completely blown off, and shortly thereafter the walls collapsed.
- 09-12 June 1902: The most severe snowstorm to hit the country swept over a large portion of the interior. On the 9th it also snowed on the Palmiet River flats at Caledon. During the next three days snow fell unceasingly in the Karoo, Eastern and North-Eastern Cape, the Free State and Natal. Strong winds accompanied the snowstorm and there were great stock losses. In the North-Eastern Cape, where the snow lay 60 cm deep, thousands of small stock perished. In East Griqualand, the snow lay 1,5 metres deep, and more than 13,000 sheep froze to death. Snow fell on the Drakensberg and at Charlestown. Heavy snow falls were reported in Ixopo, Bulwer and Edendale. Snow also fell on a series of hills in the vicinity of Richmond. High winds caused considerable damage to timber plantations and the roofs of houses in the environs of Swartkop. A number of buildings in Richmond and Ixopo were destroyed by the winds. The blizzard also hit Johannesburg and the Rand.
- 31 May-01 June 1905: The Great Blizzard of 1905 hit Natal and adjacent territories. Intense winds with rain, hail, snowfalls, flooding, thunder and lightning caused widespread devastation in much of Natal. Many people died of exposure and were later found buried in snowdrifts. Others were killed by lightning or drowned. Livestock losses were reported from across Natal. Snow fell at Pietermaritzburg railway station in Napierville. Deep snowdrifts were seen in Mooi River and Nottingham Road. Some oxen were buried in snow with only their noses visible. Trees, telegraph poles as well as wood and iron houses were blown over by the winds. Airborne sheets of corrugated iron killed some cattle in Pietermaritzburg.
- 08 August 1906: Heavy snowfalls fell over the South-Western Cape. In Upper Roeland Street snowballs were being thrown early that morning. Heavy snowfalls were also reported in Worcester, Touws River and the Langkloof.
- 16-18 August 1909: The heaviest snowfall yet was recorded in Johannesburg. It started snowing on the evening of the 16th and carried on through the next day. Snow lay 30-40cm deep. On the 17th the temperature remained below freezing point all day. The street car and train services experienced delays. The Empire and His Majesty’s cinemas were still busy in the evening. there were snowball fights on Commissioner Street. People in the Bank of Africa Building started throwing chunks of snow from the parapet on to the pavement. A police officer entered the building and put a stop to that. Outside the Rand Club snowball fights with the Stock Exchange brokers carried on until nightfall. Superintendent Gale, who was in charge of the police on the streets, had a busy day keeping over-boisterous snowballers in line. Five men were arrested in Braamfontein for snowballing policemen: Harry Baxter (night watchman), John Keating (mechanic), Alf Webber (bath proprietor), Joe Steyn (electrician) and E. Walker (auctioneer). All were charged at Marshall Square where Station Sargeant Syms, an ex-City of London a policeman, was in charge.
- 29-30 September 1913: Heavy snow fell on Monday evening and on Tuesday at Venterstad, Lady Grey and Elliot where it lay 30cm deep in town. Heavy stock losses were suffered. that Monday in Great Drakenstein valley and continued until 12:30.
- 21-22 June 1915: Rain and snow fell in many parts of Natal. The slopes of Swartkop were covered in snow, with snow also visible at Boshoff’s Road in Mount Michael. Snow fell on the Drakensberg, Umzimkulu, East Griqualand, Ixopo, Bulwer, Byrne, Nel’s Rust (Baynesfield), Karkloof, Howick, Curry’s Post, Nottingham Road, Rosetta, Mooi River, Estcourt, Riet Vlei, Greytown, Elandslaagte, Waschbank, Dundee, Glencoe, Besters, the Biggarsberg and in Wakkerstroom. An advertisement entitled Snow on Zwaartkop was inserted in the Natal Witness, 3 July 1915 by W.
- 18-19 July 1915: An official parade to welcome back the 47 officers and 853 men of the 1st and 2nd Natal Carbineers and the attached Natal Telegraph Corps was held on 19 July 1915 during World War I. The event was attended by the Governor-General of South Africa and his wife, Lord and Lady Buxton, at the Oval and Pavilion in Alexandra Park, near the centre of Pietermaritzburg. The troops had returned to the city following the capitulation of German South-West Africa on 09 July 1915. The day of the parade was bleak and bitter with a strong wind blowing off the snow-clad mountains. Snow also fell at Edendale and the Swartkop was covered in light snow. Heavy snow fell in parts of the Transvaal, including Johannesburg, and Pilgrim’s Rest. Snow lay 5 to 7cm deep. In Germiston, people had snowball fights on the corner of President Street at what was known as Shark’s Alley. Heavy snow fell in many areas of the Orange Free State and in some areas of the Cape. Volksrust received 12 inches of snow on the 19th July. Bloemfontein woke up to a deep layer of snow on the 20th. One resident said so much snow hadn’t been seen since 1886.
- 08-10 August 1917: Snow fell intermittently but was washed away by rain. Snow and sleet fell in Johannesburg on 08 August. accompanied by a piercing wind. the sleet had caused chaos on the roads. On the West Rand, snow started falling during the breakfast hour on 08 August, accompanied by a strong wind. In the drifts on the northern side of Florida, Roodepoort and Witpoortjie, snow lay several feet deep. Farmers suffered stock losses through the exposure of their young stock. Volksrust and district received several inches of snow. In Potchefstroom, there was a gale-force wind all night, followed by rain and a little snow.
- 07-09 September 1921: Heavy snow fell over the eastern interior. At Kokstad it started snowing early on Wednesday morning (the 7th) and continued for 15 hours. On Thursday morning snow fell for many hours at Ladysmith and most of the Natal interior. In the Midlands it was lying 35 to 40cm deep (Greytown vicinity). At Newcastle the depth was 10cm. Snow fell at Volksrust and Harrismith. Between Harrismith and Van Reenen snow lay up to 60cm deep on the rail tracks. Railway trucks arriving in Pietermaritzburg from up-country on 08 September were covered in snow. More snow fell on Friday (the 9th) over the south-eastern Transvaal and that morning also in Johannesburg. Snow was reported in Himeville, Bulwer, Dargle, Kamberg, Byrne, Nel’s Rust, Howick, Nottingham Road, Mooi River, Greytown, Ladysmith, Dundee, Newcastle, Utrecht, Volksrust, Kokstad, andHarrismith.
- 15-20 May 1922: Heavy snowfalls fell over the interior, in places up to a metre deep. Natal was cut off from the rest of the country for six days.
- 26-27 June 1922: In Pietermaritzburg, the Swartkop was described covered in snow. The road through Cedara was blocked by snow, while thick snow was reported at Elandskop. The annual agricultural show at Ixopo was postponed due to snow covering the ground and roads. Snow fell in Harding and the surrounding district.
- 11 July 1926: The first snowfall since 1917, and the heaviest since 1915, fell over Johannesburg, the Reef and a large part of the Highveld on the afternoon of 11th July. The snow continued for about three hours. At places in Johannesburg city centre snow lay up to 7cm deep and telephone wires broke under the weight of snow. Johannesburg motorists and motor-cyclists had to return home by train as Main Reef Road was impossible. The West Rand received almost 8cms of snow. Snow fell at Brakpan, Germiston and Krugersdorp where it was measured at 12cms deep. The eastern Highveld saw light snow falls.
- 21 July 1926: Snow, hail and rain swept through most of the Cape province today. Heavy snow fell in the wine and fruit-growing districts, breaking a long drought. In the Touws River district there was snow on the hilltops, valleys, and in the orchards and vineyards nestling on the foothills of the Langeberg, Hex, Brandwacht and Drakenstein mountains. Cape Town experienced sleet. In Worcester, the mayor Mr J P Malan said it was the coldest winter he had experienced. Mr Muller, an old resident in the Brandwacht mountain area, said that the snow had previously never reached his farm until now.
- 03-04 September 1926: Heavy snowfalls over the south-eastern Transvaal that Friday and Saturday. In Volksrust it lay 20cm deep. The Wakkerstroom area was covered in a white blanket and large stock losses were suffered. Light snow fell at Klerksdorp.
- 26 August 1927: A heavy snowstorm hit Natal in the evening of 26 August. Snow was visible on the slopes and top of Swartkop, and on the hills around Pietermaritzburg. The snow remained on the ground for the weekend. The Drakensberg was a wall of ice and snow. Snow also fell in the Winterton-Loskop area. Birds and small wildlife died of exposure in Rosetta. In the Midlands, wattle trees were damaged by the weight of the snow. Snow was reported in Franklin, Kokstad, on the Ingeli Mountain, on the hills overlooking Estcourt, in Mooi River, and in Weenen.
- 08-10 July 1929: On the 4th and again from the 8th to the 10th snow fell over an extensive area of the southern Cape, from Laingsburg / Fraserburg to as far as Middelburg / Cradock, George, Somerset East, and Graaff-Reinet. At Paardekraal in the Beaufort West district the average snow depth was 60cm. Heavy snow and rain fell in many areas in Natal. Swartkop was covered in snow. Snow fell in Underberg, Ixopo, Elandskop, Nottingham Road, Mooi River, Harrismith and the Orange Free State. Snow was also reported between Creighton and Kokstad, in Franklin, Matatiele and in East Griqualand. Naauwpoort was practically shut down. on the 9th July and by midnight it was a blizzard.
- 28-29 July 1930: Six inches of snow fell over Johannesburg on the 28th. By sunset it had turned into slush. quickly captured photos of the snow-clad city and presented them in a short film at the Bijou cinema on the 29th. There were several snow injuries. Duncan Stewrat (74), an unemployed boilermaker, slipped and fell at the corner of Sauer and Market Streets. He was admitted to the General hospital with a minor injury to the head. A man was electrocuted in Blommestein Street in Krugersdorp when he came into contact with a live wire that had fallen across the street due to the weight of snow. John Teunis Dragd (52), a well-known Johannesburg diamond buyer, slipped and fell in Joubert Street, breaking a leg. C S Smith (57),of Turffontein, slipped in Plein Street and fractured his leg. Sarah Shyler (47) fell in De Villiers Street and broke her arm. R Henry, Mrs B Ingram, M Katz and J Joselowitz were all treated at the General Hospital for minor injuries from falls. A man named Daniel was treated at the Non-European Hospital after he slipped off a platform on the premises of Vacuum Oil Co. in Eloff Street Extension and injured his hip. and clearing gutters, fell through a skylight and suffered cuts to his face and body. At Johannesburg Zoo staff found 13 wild birds and one sick springbok dead. A crocodile and a black mamba were frozen, but revived in the boiler room. The 28th was the coldest day and night on the Rand. Seven trains from Durban reached Johannesburg 50 minutes late, filled with passengers returning to the Rand from their seaside holiday. In some parts of the city, telegraph lines buckled under the weight of snow. The East Rand had sunshine, a thunderstorm, rain, sleet, hail, snow and a bitter wind. on the 28th and continued for 45 minutes. leaving about half an inch of snow. Benoni and Springs had sleet in the day, followed by snow in the evening. Krugersdorp district had heavy snowfall.
- 01 September 1931: Snow fell in many parts of the Free State and the Cape. Passengers on the Union Express train, which arrived in Johannesburg in the aftenoon, saw snow all the way to Kimberley. Snow fell at Kroonstad for the first time since 1916. Snow fell at Bethulie for 30 minutes. For the first time in nine years, Bloemfontein experienced a heavy snowfall on the 2nd. The last snowstorm in Heilbron was eight years ago. Carnarvon experienced its first snowstorm in 40 years. Springfontein, Ladybrand, Fort Beaufort, Middelburg, Bedford, Venterstad, and Mount Fletcher all reported snow.
- 08 June 1932: For the second time only in the last 30 years Johannesburg has had snow in June. July is the commonest month for snow in South Africa. Light snow fell on the 8th in most parts of the city. Grocers reported a run on tinned soup, mostly from flatdwellers. Beef tea was also popular.
Snowfall in Other Parts of Africa
Snow in Africa is a rare but not uncommon sight, a country that is known for hot deserts, tropical climates and savannahs. But because Africa is geographically diverse, there are parts of Africa where it snows frequently.
Other African regions that experience snowfall include:
- Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in North Africa are blanketed in snow every winter, turning places such as Oukameden into ski resorts.
- Algeria’s highlands in the north, especially the Kabylie and Aurès Mountains, are sometimes covered in snow.
- In the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ethiopia, the Simien Mountains, snow can fall high up in elevation during colder months.
- At the equator, snow always falls on Africa’s highest peaks, Mount Kenya in Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
- In some regions of Uganda and Rwanda, the Rwenzori Mountains (known as "Mountains of the Moon") occasionally snows.
Although African snows occur only in particular places and at certain times of year, they illustrate Africa’s geographical range.
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