WATCH: Jerusalem wakes up to thin blanket of snow

Around five centimeters of snow fell in the capital, much less than what forecasters predicted.

By REUTERS, SHARON UDASIN
Jerusalem wakes up to snow, January 8, 2015
Jerusalem woke up on Thursday morning to a thin blanket of snow, after two days of stormy weather that kept many people at home.
On Wednesday, in which heavier snow was anticipated, school was cancelled and roads leading to Jerusalem were blocked but local media reported that on Thursday schools would re-open in the late hours of the morning.
The storm was lighter than in December 2013, when snow fell for three days, causing power outages that left tens of thousands cut off from electricity and heating.
5 cm (1.9 inches) of snow, much less than anticipated, were piled up in Jerusalem, giving a bright glitter to holy places in the walled Old City.
Earlier in the week, Danny Rupp, an Israeli television weatherman, predicted 12 to 24 hours of snowfall in Jerusalem. Barry Lynn, a meteorologist at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the storm would likely dump between 25 cm and 60 cm (10 inches and 24 inches) of snow in the city.
Snow ploughs and power crews remained on alert in Jerusalem and in the West Bank.
After being closed on Wednesday evening and overnight, most of the roads to and within Jerusalem were open on Thursday were opened on Thursday morning, the Transportation Ministry said. The ministry warned, however, that some of the routes remain icy. Public transportation to and from as well as within Jerusalem also resumed.
Road 90 between Ein Gedi and Nahal Dragot remained closed as of Thursday morning, the ministry said.
Other public transportation lines that had been temporarily disbanded would return to service gradually, and some lines would experience route alterations, the ministry added.


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