Residents of the Golan and Galilee Mountains woke up on Saturday to fifty shades of gay elegance, as the snow that began to fall during Friday's stormier weather enveloped the surrounding area with a soft blanket of white.
From the Hula Valley in the Galilee, Kibbutz Ein Zivan in the northern Golan Heights and Ramim Ridge in the North-East, the country's North was turned into a winter wonderland. The city of Safed saw as much as 10 cm of snow, with winds clocking in with a rare 131 km/hour. The Shiryon Interchange saw up to 15 cm of snow. Mt. Hermon reportly saw 50 cm of snowfall, though the site is unfortunately closed to visitors.
Snow falls up north
(צילום: אסף מגל, דניאל אליאור, רחל יטח, זוהר קבלן)
Kibbutz Manara under snow
(צילום: תמיר אנגל, מנרה לודג, אתר החרמון)
Mt. Hermon
(צילום: אתר החרמון)
Several roads have been blocked due to the snow. The Golan Regional Council reported that "This morning, Israel Paths (the Transport Infrastructure National Company—ed) along with the IDF began clearing the roads in the northern part of the region. The Golan Regional Council asks that residents and visitors drive carefully and adhere to the instructions of Israel Police and the council helpline." At present, all roads in the Golan Hights and the Galilee have been cleared.
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The damage to the house in Acre (Photo: Beach District Fire Fighting Unit)
(צילום: דוברות כבאות והצלה מחוז חוף)
Rain is expected to fall during the remainder of Saturday from the North of Israel to the Negev, with possible flooding in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. Additional snow is due to fall on mountain peaks higher than 800 meters.
Following the snow and stormy weather, rainbows began to spread over the country, namely above Beit Hakerem Valley in teh Galilee and the more southern city of Ashdod.
Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy and unusually cold for this time of year. Monday is due to be fair, with a slight rise in temperature, and Tuesday will expectedly have light showers from the North to the Negev, with another dip in temperature.
The stormy weather on Friday caused many tree collapses and power outages throughout the country. One woman in Acre was lightly injured when a power line fell on her house, seriously damaging the structure.