Several inches of snow fell in Jerusalem and other mountainous areas in Israel.
Municipal authorities in Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and other Israeli highland areas went on alert Tuesday for snow expected overnight. On Wednesday, dozens of plows were out clearing the roads in Jerusalem, and schools closed for the day.
The snowstorms were preceded by gale-force winds that snarled traffic and, at one point, prompted Ben Gurion Airport to turn away several incoming flights. A ship in Haifa port became unmoored in the wind and drifted to sea.
Israel has seen low temperatures this winter but no real snow. At least 10 people, most of them homeless, have died of hypothermia in unusually cold weather. Israeli police and volunteers on Tuesday searched city streets for vagrants, arranging emergency indoor accommodation for them.
Occasional snowfall is expected to persist until the weekend.
