Israel experiences snow, rain as winter storms continue
Mount Hermon ski resort is closed to visitors after it received 15cm (5.9 in) of snow overnight.
By RACHEL WOLFSnow covers the base of Mount Hermon on January 21, 2020(photo credit: MT. HERMON)Winter storms in Israel continued on Tuesday with snow in Israel's north and rain in the center of the country. Additionally, due to the recent uptick in rain, the Sea of Galilee rose 7 cm (2.75 in) yesterday, according to Israel's Water Authority.Multiple Israeli reports indicate that this will be the coldest day of the year so far. The Jerusalem Post's sister publication Maariv reported that temperatures in Jerusalem will be around 6C (42.8 F), whereas the norm for January is 13C (55.4F). Monday evening, anticipating the snowfall, the Mount Hermon ski resort announced on Facebook that it would be closed to visitors on Tuesday and included a video of snow falling at the entrance of the resort. Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, 15cm (5.9 in) of snow fell on Mount Hermon, the ski resort reported. Temperatures on the mountain were as low as -2C (28.4F).The mountain will be open on Wednesday for visitors and skiers, according to the ski resort's website.This is not the first time the Hermon closed this season due to snow. On January 4 the ski resort closed due to a snow storm shortly after the assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani. Many expected the attraction to be closed for security reasons, but after the IDF cleared the site for visitors, it opted to close for weather.Mount Hermon may not be the only place covered in snow, as Jerusalem may see a slight flurry, but it likely will not stick to the ground. However, Channel 12 said that while the snow may reach Judea and Samaria, it will likely not reach Jerusalem.Safed, in northern Israel, is also preparing for heavy snowfall. "We are prepared for wintry, stormy weather and may even be snowy," Safed Mayor Shuki Ohana told Maariv. "Upon completion of the preparatory meeting, I took a tour of the emergency warehouses and saw full road salt, heavy equipment and generators. We will issue regular real-time notifications to city residents. "As for the rest of the country, while it will likely remain snow-free, Maariv's weather report indicates that the rain that Israel has experienced for a few weeks will continue. As a result, residents of southern and eastern Israel may experience flooding. This means that southern Israel may experience more flooding. During a storm on January 4, much of southern Tel Aviv flooded and a couple drowned in an elevator when emergency rescue services could not get to them in time.
While in many places the rain has been destructive and flooding has been deadly, it also has made the grass greener in the Galilee. Bulls are already taking advantage of the fresh grass and are going out to graze.
