10 cm. of snow falls on Mount Hermon

Hermon site managers hope to open slopes to skiers later this week, snow expected for Galilee peaks, rain for South.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
soldiers playing in snow 311 (photo credit: AP)
soldiers playing in snow 311
(photo credit: AP)
Storm winds blew through much of Israel on Sunday, with snow falling on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights and heavy rains soaking the Galilee.
On the Hermon, 10 cm. of snow was reported on the ground. The entire ski area was covered in white powder, according to an Army Radio report. The ski area site managers hoped to open the slopes to skiers later in the week. Snow was also expected to reach the peaks of mountains in the upper Galilee later in the the day.
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Sandstorms were reported in the South with rain expected to begin falling in the Negev region later in the day.
The strong winds over the weekend caused a number of accidents and power outages throughout the country.
Also, on Saturday, a 41-year-old Russian tourist went missing after swimming off Sironit Beach in Netanya. Rescue forces were unable to search for him as gale winds created seven-meter-high waves.
A four-year-old boy and a six year- old girl were injured in a guesthouse in the Meron area. In both cases, doors were forcefully slammed shut by the wind on the children’s hands. They were both taken to Rivka Sieff Hospital in Safed, the boy with an amputated finger and the girl with a partial amputation.
Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Acre and other cities as well as several West Bank settlements experienced power outages over the weekend as strong winds knocked over trees, which took out electricity lines.
Several roads were congested or blocked in the North, and high winds on Saturday knocked water heaters off roofs in Haifa, according to Israel Radio.
By Saturday evening, the Tel Aviv Municipality said at least 78 trees or branches had fallen on roads, 31 objects, such as trash cans or signposts, had been knocked over by the winds and blocked roads, and that four power cables had been ripped.