Snow and ice flakes cover Oman mountains

Muscat: Khasab, Mussandam, Jebal Akdhar and Jebal Shams are icy and snow-covered for the third consecutive day, residents said.
“Since Friday morning, it has been icy in Khasab. Almost all the areas were covered with ice flakes and snow. It’s for the first time it is snowing like this. We went on a trip to enjoy the cool weather,” Venukutten MB, a resident in Khasab, told Times of Oman.
In pictures: Oman mountains blanketed in snow
“Still some parts of Khasab are covered with snow,” he added.
An official at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort said that still there is ice and snow all around in the area.
“Furniture and plants are covered with ice. It was shivering cold during the last two days,” the official from the resort said.
The resort is located on the Saiq Plateau of Jabal Ahkdar set at some 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) above sea level.
Marriappan S, a resident in Jabal Akdhar, said that the weather is still icy and windy.
“It is still cloudy too. Its shivering cold here,” the resident said adding that he is not aware of anyone trapped in the villages due to the bad weather.
According to Oman meteorology department, the expected minimum temperature are Jabal Shams is 1 degree Celsius.
Jebel Shams is a mountain located in northeastern Oman north of Al Hamra town. It is the highest mountain of the country and part of Al Hajar Mountains range set at some 3,000 metres above sea level.
An advisory from the Oman meteorology department says that skies will be clear but the drop in temperature will continue.
“There are chances of sandstorms in Al Wusta and Dhofar,” the advisory adds.