For about as long as I can remember, I've wanted to see Jerusalem in the snow. Wherever you go around here, you're sure to find some postcards, often displaying Jerusalem on its best days in its most beautiful places. Jerusalem is a beautiful city, but those "best" days are few and far between, especially when it comes to the snow pictures. I remember coming across some pictures of Jerusalem in the snow sometime a few years back and thinking, "Wow, I really wish I could see that for myself."
Last year we had a sprinkling of snow. I was excited. It wasn't much and didn't stick long (it was gone by noon), but it was fun to see. I figured that was probably the only time I would see snow in Jerusalem, so I tried to enjoy it.
This week a patch of bad weather hit Israel. Gusts of wind, probably stronger than anything I'd seen here before. And, of course, rain. Overall, extreme, but not too abnormally different from winter weather here in previous years.
Then we started hearing rumors of snow. Starting Wednesday. 5-15cm. I've heard rumors of snow before, I thought. I'll believe it when I see it. Especially since the weather predictions were inconsistent. Some places predicted several inches of snow, while others warned of rain but suggested temperatures would be too high for snow. I was hopeful, but it was hard to know who to believe.
Wednesday we woke up expectantly, but there was no snow. There were a few flurries throughout the day, but more sleet-like than snow-like. But that night, it began to snow. Intermittently but still enough to start to stick to cars. We began to get excited, and went to bed, praying that the snow would continue through the night.
It did. By 6am several inches had accumulated, and it was still snowing.
We headed out early, to make the most of the time. It was almost as silent as Yom Kippur.
Of course we had to visit the Western Wall/Dome of the Rock. While we were there the snow stopped.
Later in the day the sun came out again and I went out for a bit. There was water running in the streets.
By sunset, the roads were clear enough that traffic was moving fairly regularly. The roofs, however, still had a distinct dusting of snow. It was apparently the heaviest snow in Jerusalem since 1992, and it was quite a bit heavier and lasted a lot longer than I expected.
It was, however, every bit as beautiful as I expected, and will become a treasured memory from my time here in Jerusalem.
Last year we had a sprinkling of snow. I was excited. It wasn't much and didn't stick long (it was gone by noon), but it was fun to see. I figured that was probably the only time I would see snow in Jerusalem, so I tried to enjoy it.
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| This was about the extent of the snow in 2012. Enough to see, not more. |
Then we started hearing rumors of snow. Starting Wednesday. 5-15cm. I've heard rumors of snow before, I thought. I'll believe it when I see it. Especially since the weather predictions were inconsistent. Some places predicted several inches of snow, while others warned of rain but suggested temperatures would be too high for snow. I was hopeful, but it was hard to know who to believe.
Wednesday we woke up expectantly, but there was no snow. There were a few flurries throughout the day, but more sleet-like than snow-like. But that night, it began to snow. Intermittently but still enough to start to stick to cars. We began to get excited, and went to bed, praying that the snow would continue through the night.
It did. By 6am several inches had accumulated, and it was still snowing.
We headed out early, to make the most of the time. It was almost as silent as Yom Kippur.
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| Looking towards the top of the City of David and the Mount of Olives. |
We headed to the Gloria Hotel to take advantage of the wonderful view from their roof. While we were there the sun came out and it was glorious.
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| Stitched Panorama of the New City |
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| Looking towards the Mount of Olives |
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| Part of the Dome of the Rock visible. |
On the way back to JUC the clouds rolled back in.
Later in the day the sun came out again and I went out for a bit. There was water running in the streets.
But in spite of the streams, there was still a significant amount of snow on the ground.
Of course, it was fun to see "hell" frozen over. It looked a bit like a Christmas card there, with all the snowmen and snow forts and snowball fights and sledding. People were making the most of this short opportunity.
I joined in the fun and made my own little snowman.
By sunset, the roads were clear enough that traffic was moving fairly regularly. The roofs, however, still had a distinct dusting of snow. It was apparently the heaviest snow in Jerusalem since 1992, and it was quite a bit heavier and lasted a lot longer than I expected.
It was, however, every bit as beautiful as I expected, and will become a treasured memory from my time here in Jerusalem.
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