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| Forecast for snow practically shuts down the Holy Land | Forecast for snow practically shuts down the Holy Land |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| JERUSALEM — The weather forecast in the Holy Land Wednesday was for sandstorms followed by snow. | JERUSALEM — The weather forecast in the Holy Land Wednesday was for sandstorms followed by snow. |
| Plus howling winds. Intense thunderstorms. BBs of hail. | Plus howling winds. Intense thunderstorms. BBs of hail. |
| Beat that, Minnesota. | Beat that, Minnesota. |
| The dire forecast for rare heavy snow briefly united Israelis and Palestinians in a shared desire to overfill shopping carts with frozen chickens and fresh batteries. | The dire forecast for rare heavy snow briefly united Israelis and Palestinians in a shared desire to overfill shopping carts with frozen chickens and fresh batteries. |
| Some grocery aisles looked as if they had been looted. Expats struggled with the Hebrew word for “snow shovel.” There was a run on hot-water bottles at the druggist. | Some grocery aisles looked as if they had been looted. Expats struggled with the Hebrew word for “snow shovel.” There was a run on hot-water bottles at the druggist. |
| With wind gusts of 60 miles per hour raking the terraced hilltops of the West Bank and Israel, authorities closed all roads into Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, sealing the city off. They were afraid motorists would be stranded on the steep highways. | With wind gusts of 60 miles per hour raking the terraced hilltops of the West Bank and Israel, authorities closed all roads into Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, sealing the city off. They were afraid motorists would be stranded on the steep highways. |
| School was canceled in some places — until Sunday. | School was canceled in some places — until Sunday. |
| All this, and it hadn’t really started snowing (much). There was freezing rain and hail during the day, then brief snow showers, then more rain. There was very little snow accumulation by evening, but it began piling up after dark. | |
| Before then, though, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled with his generals. The army deployed armored troop carriers in Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, ready to assist frozen motorists. | |
| The Israeli leader vowed a maximum response. He toured a command center on Monday. (But even before the first flakes, there was criticism the government wasn’t prepared. It is election season.) | The Israeli leader vowed a maximum response. He toured a command center on Monday. (But even before the first flakes, there was criticism the government wasn’t prepared. It is election season.) |
| The Palestinians declared a state of emergency. The Gaza Strip was miserable. | The Palestinians declared a state of emergency. The Gaza Strip was miserable. |
| The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which assists 5 million registered Palestinian refugees of the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967, launched a donation drive under the slogan “For Refugees Winter Is Not So Wonderful.” For a $24 gift, one could purchase a tarpaulin for a family. | The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which assists 5 million registered Palestinian refugees of the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967, launched a donation drive under the slogan “For Refugees Winter Is Not So Wonderful.” For a $24 gift, one could purchase a tarpaulin for a family. |
| Israeli authorities said a lightning bolt struck the control tower at Ben Gurion International Airport, causing possible delays. | Israeli authorities said a lightning bolt struck the control tower at Ben Gurion International Airport, causing possible delays. |
| Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat took to the airwaves, showing off his idling snow plows, just itching to sweep the streets. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin took hot tea to shivering Border Police officers. | Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat took to the airwaves, showing off his idling snow plows, just itching to sweep the streets. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin took hot tea to shivering Border Police officers. |
| The leadership was worried about a repeat of the epic storm of December 2013, which dumped 15 inches of snow on Jerusalem, knocked out power for days and saw hundreds of motorists stuck on highways. | The leadership was worried about a repeat of the epic storm of December 2013, which dumped 15 inches of snow on Jerusalem, knocked out power for days and saw hundreds of motorists stuck on highways. |
| Wednesday’s storm swept across the Levant, and it was especially cruel to Syrian refugees in makeshift shelters in Lebanon, where a 10-year-old girl died. An adult and a boy crossing from Syria into Lebanon were also killed in the snowy mountains, according to the Israeli news site Ynet. | Wednesday’s storm swept across the Levant, and it was especially cruel to Syrian refugees in makeshift shelters in Lebanon, where a 10-year-old girl died. An adult and a boy crossing from Syria into Lebanon were also killed in the snowy mountains, according to the Israeli news site Ynet. |
| In Israel, a 13-year-old boy died in a car accident that police attributed to the storm. An infant child succumbed to smoke in a house fire in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank. An electric heater was blamed for the blaze, Maan news agency said. | In Israel, a 13-year-old boy died in a car accident that police attributed to the storm. An infant child succumbed to smoke in a house fire in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank. An electric heater was blamed for the blaze, Maan news agency said. |
| Some 20 inches of snow had accumulated atop the Mount Hermon range, along the borders of Syria, Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. | Some 20 inches of snow had accumulated atop the Mount Hermon range, along the borders of Syria, Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. |
| In Mevasseret Zion, one of the towns on the outskirts of Jerusalem, people were taking no chances that the snowstorm might leave them without food or electricity, as happened last December. | In Mevasseret Zion, one of the towns on the outskirts of Jerusalem, people were taking no chances that the snowstorm might leave them without food or electricity, as happened last December. |
| “We have sold many generators over the past few days,” said Etti Dagan, owner of a local hardware store. She said people were snapping up flashlights, too, in case the electricity went down again. | “We have sold many generators over the past few days,” said Etti Dagan, owner of a local hardware store. She said people were snapping up flashlights, too, in case the electricity went down again. |
| In a nearby supermarket, lines stretched out of the door as people stocked up on eggs, milk, bread and other goods they might need if stores remain closed through Sunday. | In a nearby supermarket, lines stretched out of the door as people stocked up on eggs, milk, bread and other goods they might need if stores remain closed through Sunday. |
| Weather forecasters were predicting that there will be a fresh round of snow on Friday. In most parts of Jewish Jerusalem, stores are closed Friday afternoon and Saturday for the Jewish Sabbath. | Weather forecasters were predicting that there will be a fresh round of snow on Friday. In most parts of Jewish Jerusalem, stores are closed Friday afternoon and Saturday for the Jewish Sabbath. |
| “We want to be prepared this year, make sure we are in a better situation than last year,” said Ilanit Maimon, who was in the supermarket with her three young children. | “We want to be prepared this year, make sure we are in a better situation than last year,” said Ilanit Maimon, who was in the supermarket with her three young children. |
| Ruth Eglash contributed to this report. | Ruth Eglash contributed to this report. |