If you looked out toward Sicily this afternoon, you may have caught a stunning sight: Mount Etna, dusted in fresh snow, clearly visible from Malta.

The Maltese Islands Weather page, that shared Andrea Muscat’s incredible photo, explained that this impressive visibility comes thanks to a blast of colder air sweeping in from northern Europe. This kind of air mass helps ‘clean’ the atmosphere, clearing away haze, pollution and fine dust, allowing distant landscapes – like Etna’s iconic silhouette – to stand out more sharply against the sky.

While the view was certainly a treat, the weather shift brings a familiar pattern: colder air typically arrives ahead of breezier conditions, possible rain, and a noticeable dip in temperature across the islands.

If you missed today’s snowy spectacle, keep your eyes on the horizon over the next couple of days – with the atmosphere this clear, you might just get another glimpse of Sicily’s majestic volcano glowing white.

Did you see it?