While winter got off to a late start in Israel, significant rainfall was recorded in a number of areas since last Thursday, 2 Teves 5774 and temperatures this week dropped significantly ahead of the season’s first major storm.

Temperatures on Tuesday, 7 Teves are cool and pleasant in most areas, but a sharp drop is expected towards evening, giving way to the beginning of the storm front. Rain is expected to being on Tuesday night accompanied by strong winds. Temperatures will continue to drop during the night bringing rain and intermittent thunderstorms and high wind gusts from the north to the northern Negev. Meteorologists instruct homeowners to tie down loose objects on one’s roof, balcony and the like to avoid injuries and damage. In the northern Golan Heights, Mount Hermon, the rain is expected to change over to snow as the ski lifts recorded 30 centimeters at the end of last week. Resort operators are optimistic that this storm will provide sufficient accumulations to permit opening for the season. The temperature is expected to continue falling on Wednesday and Thursday and it will be unseasonably cold, clearing the way for snow in higher elevation areas, possibly including Yerushalayim.

The Kinneret on Tuesday morning measures 2.61 meters below the upper red line, almost a meter less than the same date a year ago.

Forecasters are speaking of a possible snow alert in Yerushalayim for Thursday, 9 Teves, and City Hall sanitation officials are monitoring the situation and making preliminary preparations for such an event.

The forecast for Tuesday in a number of cities; (daytime/nighttime)

Beersheva (16 – 9C/60.8 – 48.2F)

Haifa (14 – 10C/ 57 – 50F)

Tel Aviv (17 – 12C/ 62.5 – 53.5F)

Tiveria (18 – 12C/64.4 – 53.5F)

Tzfas (8 – 3C/46.4 – 37.4F)

Yerushalayim (10 – 6C/ 57 – 42.8F)

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)