Snowstorm Hits Yerushalayim Area; Schools Closed Thursday

Snow began falling in Yerushalayim on Wednesday evening, and is expected to continue overnight with accumulations of up to eight inches.

The city went into snowstorm mode as schools closed early and buses stopped running in the afternoon. Schools in Yerushalayim will be closed on Thursday as well.

As of 8 p.m., the Electric Company said that some 20,000 homes have lost power . The country set a record-breaking power usage of 14,805 megawatts, besting the figure posted last week of 14,735.

Police have closed off Route 1 (connecting the capital and Tel Aviv) in both directions due to treacherous road conditions.

Snow was falling as well in Gush Etzion and higher elevations around the country.

The “Metro-Tech” weather forecaster said it will be rainy and stormy from the Golan to the Negev through the night, with a chance of flooding.

Snow is expected on all mountains in Israel over 1800 feet, including in the Negev.

More rain and wind is expected on Thursday morning, and snow in the north.

Intermittent rain is forecast into Friday, and the storm front won’t have passed until Shabbos, which is expected to be partly cloudy with isolated showers and cold.

Video courtesy of The Western Wall Heritage Foundation

—

Video courtesy of Akiva Galimidi/Kuvien Images

—

—

—

Photos and videos below are of Gush Etzion, courtesy of Yakov Lipkin

–