Let it snow...in the Negev?

Israel is set to be hit by a major wave of snow blanketing the country, and some meteorologists are predicting that it could reach down to the northern Negev desert areas and beyond, including the Ramon Crater and Sdeh Boker, according to Israel Hayom.

According to Dr. Amir Givati, Director of the Israeli Meteorological Service, the current weather forecast includes the possibility that Israel will experience snow in the normally arid Negev alongside the possibility of snow in the Carmel area in the Haifa region next Monday.

"There will be areas that will be colored white, ones that haven't seen snow for many years, even in the south of the country," explained Dr. Givati. "The main story will begin on Saturday. From the evening hours, snow will begin in the northern mountains, and as we progress toward the night between Saturday and Sunday, it will spread to the Judean Mountains and also to Jerusalem."

"The snow is expected to reach even lower areas, including the central Golan Heights, southern Golan Heights, Lower Galilee, and perhaps even on Mount Carmel," he adds. "We're talking about an extreme cold wave, which means we're heading toward days with very extreme weather, and many areas will be colored white after many years. On Monday, we're even talking about the possibility of snow in Mitzpeh Ramon and Sde Boker, and essentially Israel will be colored white from south to north, according to the forecast of the Meteorological Service."

Rescue services, including ZAKA, are preparing for the coming extreme weather, outfitting themselves with jeeps.

Eran Kozachi, commander of the Special Missions Unit, said that: "The Special Missions Unit is at full readiness for the coming days, which are expected to be extreme in terms of weather. The organization's terrain and 4x4 vehicles are equipped with advanced gear to maintain functional continuity and respond to any incident. The unit's vehicles are equipped with appropriate equipment required for extreme winter weather, rescue equipment, and chains. As a lesson from previous years, we were needed to assist ambulances that got stuck in the snow while on their way to hospitals and incident scenes. We hope these days will pass peacefully and without unusual incidents."