The high-lying areas of Israel are covered in snow - which began falling yesterday and has stopped only briefly since then - and much of the country is basically closed.
The two main northern entrances to Jerusalem were closed until late this morning, and the entrance from Tel Aviv remained closed through this afternoon. School has already been called off in the capital tomorrow. Over 20 centimeters (8 inches) of snow had piled up in Jerusalem by mid-morning, and though there was a brief rainy respite, the snow continued in the afternoon and evening. Eighty snowplow-equipped tractors and garbage worked throughout the day to clear the capital's main roads, even though there is currently no public transportation and citizens have been asked not to drive their private cars.
Knesset committee sessions scheduled for this morning were canceled, and a brief and sparsely-attended main session was held this afternoon. Many other events in the capital were also canceled.
Many roads and schools were closed in the many areas currently covered by snow: Hevron, Gush Etzion, Binyamin, mountainous areas in the Galilee, Tzfat, the Golan, and elsewhere. Other areas in the country were belted with rain and hailstorms. Photos of snow in Beit El can be seen on the Yeshivat Beit El website .
The Adam Bridge was closed due to the Jordan River's overrunning its banks. A half-meter (20 inches) of snow has piled up in the Golan. The Kishon and Soreq Rivers, near Haifa and Ashdod, respectively, overran their banks, and the Ayalon River in Tel Aviv is coming dangerously close to overflowing onto the city's Ayalon Highway. Four families were evacuated because of flooding in Tivon. Three roofs in Beit El collapsed from the weight of the snow; no one was hurt, and no one lives on the affected floors.
The snowstorm is expected to intensify tonight, and begin letting up sometime tomorrow afternoon. The weather will continue to improve, and unseasonably high temperatures are expected at the end of the week.
The two main northern entrances to Jerusalem were closed until late this morning, and the entrance from Tel Aviv remained closed through this afternoon. School has already been called off in the capital tomorrow. Over 20 centimeters (8 inches) of snow had piled up in Jerusalem by mid-morning, and though there was a brief rainy respite, the snow continued in the afternoon and evening. Eighty snowplow-equipped tractors and garbage worked throughout the day to clear the capital's main roads, even though there is currently no public transportation and citizens have been asked not to drive their private cars.
Knesset committee sessions scheduled for this morning were canceled, and a brief and sparsely-attended main session was held this afternoon. Many other events in the capital were also canceled.
Many roads and schools were closed in the many areas currently covered by snow: Hevron, Gush Etzion, Binyamin, mountainous areas in the Galilee, Tzfat, the Golan, and elsewhere. Other areas in the country were belted with rain and hailstorms. Photos of snow in Beit El can be seen on the Yeshivat Beit El website .
The Adam Bridge was closed due to the Jordan River's overrunning its banks. A half-meter (20 inches) of snow has piled up in the Golan. The Kishon and Soreq Rivers, near Haifa and Ashdod, respectively, overran their banks, and the Ayalon River in Tel Aviv is coming dangerously close to overflowing onto the city's Ayalon Highway. Four families were evacuated because of flooding in Tivon. Three roofs in Beit El collapsed from the weight of the snow; no one was hurt, and no one lives on the affected floors.
The snowstorm is expected to intensify tonight, and begin letting up sometime tomorrow afternoon. The weather will continue to improve, and unseasonably high temperatures are expected at the end of the week.