Jerusalem is preparing for icy weather on Friday night as temperatures are expected to drop throughout the country amid rainy weather.
The cold wave is expected to last the entire weekend. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast throughout the country on Friday, according to Maariv. Snow may fall on mountains in the north and high peaks in the center of the country.
The Hermon mountain opened on Friday morning after being closed for several hours due to snow on the access road, according to Ynet.
In Jerusalem, the temperatures will fall as low as 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) on Friday night. There is a very slight chance of snow. The rain throughout the country will end and the sky will clear by Friday night, but temperatures will remain colder than usual on Saturday. Temperatures should rise on Sunday.
In Tel Aviv, temperatures will drop as low as 48 Fahrenheit (9 Celsius). In Beersheba, the low temperature is 41 Fahrenheit (5 Celsius).
The Jerusalem municipality will begin salting roads and sidewalks in order to prevent icing and security teams will be spread throughout the city during the night. Central roads and roads leading to hospitals that are likely to freeze will be focused on.Israel Police are preparing for the possibility of floods caused by the winter storms. The rescue unit of the police is prepared to operate as quickly as possible to save lives and find missing persons.
The public is asked to keep a tap dripping cold water during the night to stop pipes from bursting. Pedestrians and drivers should be cautious and look out for ice on roads and sidewalks.
The municipality can be contacted through their call center by dialing 106 or through a virtual assistant at https://chat.membitbot.com/jerusalem.html.