Snow blankets Jerusalem, transforming city into winter wonderland

Rare covering of white delights residents as schools, kindergartens stay shut; snow may not stick around for long, though, with rain falling and temperatures set to rise

Jerusalem residents woke up Thursday to a blanket of white after a rare storm saw around 20 centimeters of snow settle on the capital overnight, delighting adults and children alike.

However, it may not last for long, with rain starting on Thursday morning set to continue into the weekend in most parts of the country, along with a slight rise in temperatures.

The severe weather system, dubbed Elpis, had dropped snow on the north of the county from early Wednesday morning, with the conditions spreading steadily south throughout the day.

Municipal workers worked through the night to clear roads in the city, with 250 snow plows deployed and nearly 150 tons of salt spread over roads.

But schools and kindergartens remained shut on Thursday, allowing the children of the city to enjoy the snow.

Israel’s central hilly region, including Jerusalem, gets snowfall once every few years, though forecasts of snow often don’t pan out. The storm also brought snow to the north, and other parts of the country saw strong winds and heavy rainfall.