The Saharan Ice Effect

Messing with superpowers is a risky business. Attempting to give them to yourself is usually lethal. Manipulating power levels in someone who already has them can be cataclysmic. The Saharan Ice Effect (SIE) is the result of such manipulation.

Where It Came From

About nine years ago, the supervillain Frostbite (aka Jared Hecke) was cornered by assorted SIVIC agents in the Sahara Desert. His powers, recently modified, were unstable, and he ended up freezing a significant chunk of the area, including a massive blast of ice that extended up several miles.
It is theorized that the agents attacked him with some kind of chemical, possibly radioactive, and the act of freezing it caused it to strike the atmosphere, sort of, and essentially blasted a hole in the ozone layer.

The SIE Effect

Irritating as it may be, this is the common term for it. While the effect has since stabilized somewhat, at the time it resulted in weather anomalies, geographic instability, and even some radiation damage.
In brief--because I have been asked to keep the details sparse for both the emotional stability of those present and to avoid giving a blueprint to those who might wish to repeat it--the aftermath of the battle caused a cluster of storms that disrupted the globe. In more long term effects, the newly thinned atmosphere led to problems with solar radiation in the area, further cooking the desert (basically).
The area is still subject to unusual weather patterns, and most flight paths are directed around the area to avoid the winds. More positively, you do occasionally get snow in the area, and the melting has actually allowed for some plant growth in a formerly barren patch of land.

Repairs Underway

The SIE will not last forever. The planet itself adjusts for such things, albeit slowly. Too slowly for me, to be fair. The Sparkler Bees live here in higher concentration, which is good since this was why they were created. That and smog, but this was the initial purpose. They ingest garbage matter in the atmosphere and expel it as a material that reinforces the atmosphere in the area (in as much as one can reinforce air).

Type

Metaphysical, Elemental