Israel’s Interior Ministry instructed local authorities throughout the Jewish state on Sunday to prepare for an “extreme” cold front.
Weather forecasts by the Israel Meteorological Service project that the front will peak Friday through Saturday, with the possibility of snow not only in the north, but also in the Jerusalem and Samaria areas.
“The expectations of low temperatures seem to be at a high level of certainty,” the Interior Ministry noted in the official warning published on Sunday afternoon. “Regarding the expected amounts of precipitation that will affect the accumulation of snow, a lot of uncertainty remains.”
However, “we must prepare for widespread snowfall in the north and center toward Shabbat morning and during Shabbat, including the possibility of blockages and disruptions,” the ministry emphasized.
The Israel Meteorological Service has stressed that accurate forecasts regarding the expected amount of snow can be expected on Tuesday.
Following the report of possible snowfall in Jerusalem, Israel Hayom reported an increased demand for hotel rooms in the nation’s capital. Two hotels cited by the newspaper reported an increase of 20% in reservations.
Israel saw its first snow of the season in the country’s north earlier this month. While it didn’t amount to more than a few inches, it made for picture-perfect scenes in the area, which for 16 months saw Hezbollah rockets and missiles fall from the sky.