Winter weather tightened its grip on Israel over the weekend, bringing widespread rain, local flooding and fresh snow in the north, along with the familiar mix of disruption, cautious travel warnings and Israelis stubbornly going out anyway.
Snow fell overnight at Mount Hermon, coating the lower levels of the site and pushing temperatures down to freezing. Heavy fog and ongoing snowfall forced the resort to shut down operations, and management announced the site would remain closed to visitors due to the severe conditions. While the Hermon briefly opened on Saturday with free entry, weather conditions quickly deteriorated, grounding the cable car and ending any hope of winter tourism for the moment.
Elsewhere, rain that began Friday afternoon spread from the northern mountains down through the center of the country and into the northern Negev. Emergency services were kept busy overnight as firefighters rescued a man trapped in Sorek Stream, while crews continued efforts Sunday morning to reach three people stranded by floodwaters in Halamot Stream. Authorities warned that even moderate rainfall can quickly turn desert streams into dangerous torrents, urging the public to stay away from flowing channels.
