Jerusalem blanketed in white after rare snowfall | Local News

JERUSALEM – Jerusalem was blanketed in white on Thursday after a winter storm blanketed much of the region’s high elevations with snow.

The holy city’s iconic golden Dome of the Rock was dusted with snow. Major highways to Jerusalem and its main thoroughfares were closed, and schools and businesses closed for the day as municipal snow plows worked to clear the streets.

Israeli police also closed major highways in the West Bank mountains due to dangerous road conditions.

Snowfall in the hills around Jerusalem is rare, occurring perhaps once every winter.

A winter storm hit the eastern Mediterranean, bringing heavy rain and wind to the Middle East. Istanbul and Athens were covered in snow earlier this week.