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       On Monday, residents of Johannesburg were able to pack snowballs and watch delicate flurries float down for the first time in over a decade.

       Though some parts of South Africa normally see snow, the last recorded snowfall in Johannesburg, which is located in the country’s Gauteng province, was in 2012.

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       Photos captured residents’ excitement. Some people tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues, while children spread their arms to make snow angels in fields blanketed with a light, white dusting.

       Some took to social media, posting videos of falling snow twirled by blustery winds against an urban backdrop and gray skies.

       “First time seeing/touching snow … I get so much joy from the littlest things,” one user shared joyfully on Twitter.

       Jennifer Fitchett, a professor of physical geography at the University of the Witwatersrand, told the South Africa Times on Monday that the region’s seasonally cold temperatures and unusually high humidity made for “perfect” snowfall conditions, albeit briefly.

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       “Our snowfall events are usually short-lived, they’re only a couple of hours. Usually our snowfalls in Johannesburg are not more than a day,” Fitchett said.

       According to the South African Weather Service, temperatures should increase over the coming week.

       July temperatures in Johannesburg historically range from an average high of 63 degrees to a low of 36 degrees Fahrenheit, with very little precipitation.

       Amid the glee, multiple agencies issued warnings to a populace unaccustomed to icy winters.

       The South African Weather Service warned that “wet and windy conditions” may threaten livestock and crops and encouraged residents to keep warm.

       The Johannesburg Road Agency asked motorists to exercise extra caution.

       “With today’s snow and sleet in Joburg, roads are congested and visibility is poor,” the agency said in a statement.

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