Snowman weather in Africa

Africa has 14 ski resorts since snow falls regularly over parts of Africa. Frosty the snowman would happy in Africa.

Winter Time in Africa Let's Build a Snowman in Africa

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

9-28-2015

It is winter time in Africa. Skiing, snowboarding, and building a snowman in the South African winter months of June, July and August is a common event.

Fashionable African Snowman

It is a common misconception that Africa is hot all the time. In the winter months of June, July and August, snowfall is common in towns in South Africa. 

There is a long standing African feud over snow and ice; Sutherland is considered to be the consistently coldest town in South Africa with temperatures going well below freezing throughout the winter. However, Buffelsfontein Farm in Cape Town South Africa holds the official lowest temperature record in the country of 0 °F. This feud is a long standing controversy to South African Sutherland and Buffelsfontein residents. The feud is on the same level as the US feud between Chicago and New York on who makes the best pizza. 

Sutherland is the coldest town in South Africa, with an average yearly temperature of 52°F. Lowest temperature in Sutherland averages 37 °F.  Buffelsfontein is actually a privately owned farm in Cape Town South Africa holding the official lowest temperature record in the country; it is on this farm where the official record for the coldest night ever in South Africa was recorded, a freezing 0°F. 

Buffelsfontein record was recorded on June 18, 1996 and because of this, the weather service officially calls Buffelsfontein the coldest town in Africa. The coldest temperature recorded in Sutherland was 2°F on July 12, 2003.

Walking to school in the South African snow

Averaging the lowest monthly temperatures from the years 2000-2012, the annual average low temperature in Buffelsfontein was 49°F while Sutherland's was 44°F. 

Sutherland is consistently colder; however, Buffelsfontein holds the record for the coldest day. The debate will continue for the claim to fame of the coldest town in Africa however one fact is clear, it does snow in Africa. 

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. This tiny Kingdom of Lesotho has a ski resort high on the cold African snowcapped mountains. The ski resort, AfriSki has a ski run down a side of a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, and other cold weather mountain sports. 

The AfriSki Resort opened in 2002 and is the highest ski resort in Africa. AfriSki is located in the Eastern Free State of Southern Africa. Lesotho is known as the Kingdom in the Sky due to its highlands where many of the villages can be reached only on horseback, by foot or light aircraft. Frosty the snowman travels to Lesotho Africa each year to enjoy the South African winter snow. 

Ready to build a snowman

Where else can you ski and make a snowman in Africa? Algeria, Egypt and Namibia have one ski resort, South Africa has three and Morocco has seven ski resorts in the Atlas Mountains; Oukaïmeden, Michlifen, Jbel Hebri, Azrou, Rif Gebirge, Djebel Bou Iblane, and Hoher Atlas. Regular snowfall has created ice-capped peaks on Kenya's Mount Kenya, Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro; Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains and Ethiopia's Semien Mountains. It's not enough to ski but frosty the snowman would still be happy.

Do you know?

The Dean Martin Let it Snow! Song translated the the South African language of Xhosa

Oo, imozulu ngaphandle iloyiko

Kodwa umlilo uyavuya kakhulu

Kwaye ekubeni asinayo indawo yokuya kuyo

Yeka iqhwa, likhe likhephu, livumele iqhwa

Umntu awubonakali iimpawu zokuyeka

Kwaye ndazisa ingqolowa yepoppin '

Izibane zijike ezantsi

Yeka iqhwa, likhe likhephu, livumele iqhwa

Xa ekugqibeleni sibanga ubusuku obuhle

Ndingayithanda njani ukuphuma kwisiqhwithi

Kodwa ukuba undibambelele

Yonke indlela eya ekhaya ndiya kufudumala

Kwaye umlilo uya kufa

Kwaye, ndithandekayo, sisesehla kakuhle

Kodwa ngokude nje undithandayo

Yeka iqhwa, likhephe iqhwa, nekhephu

Xa ekugqibeleni sibanga ubusuku obuhle

Ndingayithanda njani ukuphuma kwisiqhwithi

Kodwa ukuba undibamba kakuhle

Yonke indlela eya ekhaya ndiya kufudumala

Oo umlilo uya kufa ngokukhawuleza

Kwaye, ndithandekayo, sisesehla kakuhle

Kodwa ngokude nje undithandayo

Yeka iqhwa, likhe likhephu, livumele iqhwa

English

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Man it doesn't show signs of stoppin'

And I brought some corn for poppin'

The lights are turned way down low

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

When we finally kiss good-night

How I'll hate going out in the storm

But if you really hold me tight

All the way home I'll be warm

And the fire is slowly dying

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing

But as long as you love me so

Let it snow, let it snow, and snow

When we finally kiss good-night

How I'll hate going out in the storm

But if you really grab me tight

All the way home I'll be warm

Oh the fire is slowly dying

And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing

But as long as you love me so

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow