Large parts of Israel blanketed in snow
Large parts of Israel, from the Golan Heights in the north, through the Galilee, Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem, and all the way south to areas near Be’er Sheva, were blanketed in snow Wednesday night.
The storm Elpis, coming in from Europe, dropped snow at mountainous areas and heavy rains in lower areas, creating scenes that are seen only once or twice a year in the Holy Land.
School was canceled in many municipalities on Thursday and major routes were blocked by police, as several inches of snow brought life outside to an almost complete standstill.
The train to Jerusalem and the light rail in Jerusalem continued to operate as usual.
Motorists who were stranded by the storm on their way to Jerusalem were hosted by local communities situated on the way to the capital.
Israelis broke the all-time record of electricity consumption on Wednesday night, and according to the electric company, at 18:22 the consumption was 14,805 megawatts. The previous record was broken last week and stood at 14,735 megawatts.
Celebrated as a holiday in Israel, Israelis took to the street to enjoy the snow, building snowmen and using plastic bags as sleds.
The Water Authority updated Thursday that the level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has risen by 5.5 cm in the past day due to the heavy rains and the stormy weather, and is now 1.69 meters away from the upper level.
The heavy rains and snow are expected to generate flooding in streams in the south.
Michael Kuttner writes: “We have just survived a major snowstorm although the garden is a mess and tree branches are down. Still very icy and the roads are dangerous. On top of that the power has been on and off and there seems to be a problem with the emails because we are not receiving messages at the moment .”
President Herzog and the First Lady at home Credit: Haim Zach (GPO)
The Herzog family enjoying the snow Credit: Haim Zach (GPO)
The Herzog having a snowball fight Credit: Haim Zach (GPO)
Michael Kuttner can’t find his car Photo: Michaael Kuttner
TPS/J-Wire
