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Jerusalem's Old City turns white after rare snowfall
Before dawn children were up hurling snowballs at each other outside the Old City gates, as the faithful trudged to sites holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
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An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks on a snow-covered street following a snow storm in Jerusalem, on February 18, 2021.
(Agence France Presse/Menahem Kahana)
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erusalem woke up to the rare experience of seeing its holy sites covered in snow on Thursday, with the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall under a layer of white after an overnight snowstorm.
Before dawn children were up hurling snowballs at each other outside the Old City gates, as the faithful trudged to sites holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
The snowstorm began on Wednesday evening, leading the authorities to shut down public transportation and block the main road to Jerusalem.
But as it eased overnight the municipality said it would resume services, and people even drove to see the spectacle.
"We came in from Tel Aviv to play in the snow," said Ben Miller. "It's a rare occasion that we get snow in Jerusalem. The last time, I think, was 2013."
Haaretz daily reported that due to the weather, Jerusalem school openings are delayed, and classes will start at 9 A.M. The city's main highway was closed to traffic in both directions overnight, and reopened on Thursday morning. The light rail also halted service because of the snow, but resumed operation in the morning, along with other Jerusalem public transport means.
Snow continued to fall Wednesday night in the Golan Heights, as well as in high-elevation areas in the Galilee and the northern West Bank. Sixty centimeters (about 24 inches) of snow accumulated at the base of the Hermon, and the snowfall is expected to continue on the mountain through Thursday.
