Routes leading to Golan Heights and Mount Hermon ski resort remain closed after heavy snows; public urged not to try and reach the area
Heavy rains were forecast for much of central and southern Israel on Friday, with warnings of possible floods in southern coastal cities as the severe weather system, dubbed Elpis, continued to batter the country.
The storm, which brought delight to Jerusalem with a rare snowfall, will continue to dump snow on the Golan Heights and possibly some of the higher areas in the Galilee.
Roads leading to the northern Golan Heights remained closed, as did the Mount Hermon ski center, which reported 1.2 meters (nearly 4 feet) of snow at the base, with 50 centimeters (20 inches) falling since Thursday
The public was urged not to try and reach the area until roads were declared open. The ski resort hoped to reopen on Saturday.
Jerusalem, which received some 20-25 centimeters of snow, delighting adults and children alike, will see much of it washed away as snow turned to rain with increased temperatures.
There were also warnings of possible flooding in coastal cities and flash floods in the Negev desert.
The rains and snow were expected to ease on Saturday.
Elpis, which had caused havoc in Greece, Turkey and Lebanon, 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 Jerusalem, with 250 snow plows deployed and nearly 150 tons of salt spread over roads.
But schools and kindergartens remained shut on Thursday, allowing the city’s children to enjoy the snow. Even the deer that inhabit central Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley were filmed frolicking in the snow.
Israel’s central hilly region, including Jerusalem, gets snowfall once every few years, though forecasts for snow often don’t pan out.
As reported by The Times of Israel