A cold weather front that hit Israel over the weekend is set to continue on Monday with snow storms raging in northern parts of the country since the morning hours.
The temperatures have also fallen below freezing in the mountainous areas of northern and central Israel.
Snow began falling across northern Israel on Sunday evening
(Video: Safed municipality)
In the northern Golan Heights, snow began unexpectedly piling up on the ground due to sub-zero temperatures and the unseasonably heavy snowfall. Although in the meantime all the roads in the area remain open, the authorities are assessing the situation as the weather front develops.
The Mount Hermon Ski Resort will be open for visitors on Monday, with the temperature along the lower level of the mountain currently standing at - 5 degrees celsius. The site said that due to heavy snow and thick ice, not all facilities at the site will be operating as planned.
In addition, light snow began falling in the Hebron area of the West Bank.
In the meantime, in other parts of the country the weather will be rainy, with occasional showers spreading from the north all the way to the Negev.
The Metro-tech meteorological company said the unusually freezing weather was caused by a weather front from Turkey that brought with it cold air from Russia, which penetrated the atmosphere in the Mediterranean.
In the Mediterranean, northwesterly winds will reach up to 40 kph (25 mph) with gusts in some areas reaching the speed of 50 kph (31 mph). Waves could reach up to 240 cm (8 feet).
In the northern city of Safed, the temperatures will range from 4 degrees in the afternoon to a 0 in the evening hours, while in the town of Katzrin, the weather will range from 6 degrees during the day to just 0 at night.
In the northern city of Haifa, the temperatures will range from 11 degrees celsius during the day Thursday to just 5 degrees at night. In Tel Aviv, the weather will be similar, with a range of 13 degrees during the day and 8 degrees at night.
In the southern city of Be’er Sheva, temperatures will range from 11 degrees throughout the day to 6 degrees at night. In Jerusalem, the temperatures will be cooler, reaching 5 degrees during the day and falling to 3 degrees overnight.