Snow in Jerusalem

I have waited for snow and snow pictures for so long,

snow in Jerusalem

 it seems that everyone wants to see Jerusalem covered in snow.

snow  Israel Museum

After several recent failed predictions…finally on Friday morning 

snow was coming down hard enough to obscure the Israel Museum.

Nachalot, snow on roof

The red roofs of the Nahalot neighborhood were covered with white.

Knesset in the snow

The Knesset high grounds were coated with a little bit of snow.

Taxi companies did not answer their phones

and the buses stopped running.

water on steps

Icy water tumbled down steps like waterfalls.

 (Sorry I did not use video for this one as the sound was incredible).

traffic

Around Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, police came to direct the traffic, 

as hundreds of people came out for the white stuff.

cotton candy machine

White cotton candy sold near the entrance was popular, 

snow, snowman

but it was the snow that attracted the crowd.

small snowman

It was a chance to build 

boys making snowman

a snowman in the center of Jerusalem.

snow in park

OK, Gan Sacher is not the same as the Golan Heights, but

sledding

 kids of all ages managed to slide down the wet grass on makeshift sleds.

child splashing in puddles, flooding in Jerusalem

Children could not play in the flooded playground,

but they had a great time splashing in puddles.

flooded sidewalk

Walking was difficult and dangerous for everyone.

snowman

The finish line for the Jerusalem Marathon, as seen in the background,

was a soggy mess, but people were smiling for pictures.

Others were happy to put a plastic bag over their hat and go for a walk.

Palestinian family in Israel

All around Gan Sacher, people were happy for snow in Jerusalem. 

Back from the Cold

 New York City and Jerusalem are both very popular tourist destinations.

In New York this week the fountain is frozen,

while the fountain in Paris Square is surrounded by flowers.

 A dog wears a sweater to go outside in Manhattan,

while a man wears shorts to the the Kotel, the Western Wall.

The horse and rider statue in Central Park is covered with snow,

but not the bull in Mamilla Mall.

Workers at Lincoln Square clean away the snow,

but if the temperature is 16 degrees Fahrenheit ( – 9 C) people will not be sitting outside,

 like the groups in the Old City where the temperature is 16 degrees Centigrade (61 F).

In January heavy blankets of white snow fell in the New York area,

but  in Jerusalem even with so little rain the green is starting to show.

Compared to the ice and salt on the steps and streets in New York City,

the Jerusalem stone steps

and streets

seem a good choice for tourists.

Glad to return to from the cold and be back on the Jerusalem streets!

Not Quite a Blizzard

News broadcasts most of the week were predicting snow in Jerusalem.  

Salt trucks were ready, extra milk was in the house,

children had planned their day off from school,

the temperature dropped,

it rained most of the night and then this morning…

there was some hail

and for a few minutes it looked like it might be snowing…

but the skies cleared again. 

It is cold, and every few minutes the weather changes,

but so far no blizzard and no new snow photos.