The Mount Hermon ski site was closed to visitors on Saturday because of congestion for the second time in two days. The site's director said the congestion was not at the site itself, but rather on the roads leading to it.
The congestion began in the early morning, when thousands of skiers waited for the ticket booth to open at 8:00 AM.
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Packed parking lot at the Mount Hermon ski site (Photo: Avihu Shapira)
(צילום: אביהו שפירא)
Police decided to close routes leading to the site at 11:30 AM, and shortly afterwards the site announced it was closed to further visitors.
The site's operators said the slopes can host about 10,000 people simultaneously and that it was not yet full – but that traffic congestion was too much of a strain on the roads. They added that the site could be reopened later in the day. The site was closed at around noon on Friday when it filled to maximum capacity.
Low temperatures throughout Israel are an advantage for the site. Even though snow hasn't fallen on Mount Hermon since Tuesday, the cold has ensured that skiing conditions are still excellent.
Meanwhile, thousands of hikers went south to participate in the traditional march among the poppies in memory of singer Shoshana Damari and mark a decade since her death.