Snow has reached Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon, as well as much of Samaria. 

Footage of the light snowfall in Israel’s capital – the third in two years but still a rare phenomenon – has premiered on YouTube.

Meanwhile, major roads have been closed in and out of Jerusalem, including Route 1 and Route 443.

Public transportation within the city is still working, albeit in a diminished capacity, with Egged running special “snow routes” which run along the biggest city streets. Police are still allowing private vehicles to drive within the city, although they have warned drivers to be cautious and only to travel if absolutely necessary. 

The Tel Aviv and Sharon regions have seen major lightning and hail storms over the course of the afternoon, with power outages reported in several cities throughout the area, including Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Netanya, Raanana, and Hod Hasharon. 

However, the weather has tapered off throughout most of the country over the past hour, with snow expected to stop temporarily before Thursday afternoon.

Scattered showers are projected to fall throughout much of central Israel until the northern Negev Thursday; winds will lessen and the snow will continue to melt. 

Snow will resume again Friday, however, in areas of central Israel with higher elevations – including Jerusalem, several areas within Samaria, and towns on hilltops in the northern Negev; cities at a lower elevation will see rain throughout the day. 

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