Malta’s got a lot to offer, but there’s one thing locals know that doesn’t come around too often on the islands: snow. Yup, snow is a rarity on the Maltese Islands and so far, it’s snowed only a handful of times: three times to be exact with the last official snowfall being in 1962.

However, Malta came close again in 1999 when a storm left parts of the islands covered in a beautiful white sheet and turned into the Winter Wonderland we all secretly desire.  On 2^nd February, temperatures tanked to 2.6°C (brr!) – the coldest it’s ever been recorded.

Issoltu… rain poured which quickly turned into hail and just minutes later, parts of the islands were covered in a white sheet worthy of a snapshot. And thanks to some locals, the photos are still around!

One hard-hit locality was the seaside town of Marsascala which nearly became unrecognisable with the blanket of hail that covered the roads. It was quite the odd sight to say the least when compared to the usually sunny weather.

Mario Zammit shared some jaw-dropping shots of various parts of the area, including the promenade, in the Facebook group Malta Lura Fil Passat. Locals who commented on the post shared that they remember it well, some recalling being at school and watching the hail fall before their first lunch break. “I remember it clearly. Kids were excited to go out to play,” one Facebook user said. Someone else recalled temperatures hitting zero during the night.

Do you remember it?

Mario Zammit via Malta Lura Fil Passat / Facebook