"Martian-like landscapes" welcomed skiers in Sochi, Russia, over the weekend as a sandstorm from the Sahara desert turned the slopes orange.

Meteorologists have said that the phenomenon was likely caused by sand from Sahara mixing with snow.

The eerie photographs were captured last Friday, March 23, at the Rosa Khutor Resort, an alpine ski resort in Krasnodar Krai near Sochi.

It hosted the alpine skiing events for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi.