An unusual cold snap in the northeast is causing exceptional meteorological conditions and agricultural confidence.
OujdaIn the Moroccan border town of Oujda, a meteorologically remarkable spectacle occurred on Tuesday evening. The capital of the Oriental region, which has a dry, Mediterranean-continental climate, was hit by heavy snowfall. According to reports from media such as H24Info and Le360, the cityscape quickly transformed into a closed white landscape – an event that had not been seen with this intensity for many years.
Cold air masses force government protective measures
According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, the cause of this rare weather event in northeast Morocco is the passage of extremely cold air masses. These led to a sudden drop in temperature across the entire region. While the population celebrated the phenomenon in many places, local authorities were forced to take immediate action. In order to ensure safety in the Oriental region, emergency services were mobilized to ensure the flow of traffic on the unusually slippery roads and to prioritize the protection of vulnerable groups from the onset of the cold wave.
Hope for groundwater levels and the agricultural sector
Beyond the purely visual aspect, precipitation has a significant impact on the regional economy. After a long period of drought, the snowfall is seen as an important stimulus for agriculture. According to the MAP news agency, numerous citizens expressed the hope that the melting processes could sustainably strengthen the strained groundwater level and stabilize the upcoming growing season.
In a context of increasing climatic instability in the Maghreb, this event offers short-term ecological relief, but at the same time highlights the growing volatility of weather patterns in North Africa. The “winter of yore,” as some residents called it, is posing new, if temporary, challenges to the infrastructure of the modern city of Oujda.
