A massive system of frigid air will whip most of Israel late Thursday night and Friday morning and bring snow to areas that have not seen the white stuff for 20 years or more.

Arad, Dimona, Upper Haifa, Modi’in, Karnei-Ginot Shomron, Maaleh Gilboa, Nazareth, Kfar Saba and possibly Ben Gurion Airport will probably be covered in white Friday morning.

Snow is falling on the Hermon ski slopes and the northern Golan Heights at this time (early Thursday afternoon), and rain in other areas will turn to snow when temperatures plummet tonight. The airport in Haifa has been closed, and police probably will not allow cars to travel on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.

Last December, heavy snow trapped motorists.

Snow will fall through the night, but by Friday afternoon it will turn back to rain in lower areas. Snow will continue falling on communities where the altitude is above 2,000 feet, and later in the day above 3,000 feet, which includes Hebron, Nevei Daniel in Gush Etzion, and Tzfat (Safed).

More than a foot of snow is likely to be dumped on Jerusalem, Gush Etzion, Hebron and the southern Hebron Hills.

Smaller accumulations will fall on Arad and Dimona in the northern Negev, and possibly on Be’er Sheva and Kiryat Gat.

There is a chance that Tel Aviv residents will see snow mixed with rain.

Anyone who does not want to lift a snow shovel, and who is not in a hurry, can wait around for a couple of days. The forecast for Sunday is freezing temperatures in the morning but significant warming in the afternoon.

On Monday and Tuesday, it will be warmer than usual. There is a chance for more rain – but no snow – later next week.

Meanwhile, the Kinneret continues to add an inch or so a day, and the entire country has received the amount of precipitation that usually falls for the entire year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to arrive in Israeli next week to launch his company’s new Israeli headquarters near Tel Aviv, Globes reported.

Israeli high-tech honchos and former President Shimon Peres at the inauguration in Herzliya, part of the Israeli version of Silicon Valley.

The Apple center will employ up to 800 people for development, marketing and sales. Apple has bought out two Israeli companies and hired their workers, as well as 150 employees laid off last year by Texas Instruments.

Several days of heavy rain are predicted to drench the northern and central regions in Israel beginning Tuesday night, bringing a bit of relief to the National Water Authority and anyone who likes to swim or sail on the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret).

While rain and snow have blessed coastal regions and parts of the south with more than the usual amount of precipitation for this time of year, areas around the Kinneret have received a bit less than usual. The lake is more than 12 feet (3.74 meters) below flood level.

That is due to change drastically, but southern Israel will suffer from severe dust pollution on its way from Africa this evening. Travelers to and from Eilat are advised that flights are being re-directed from the southern port city.

By tomorrow afternoon or night, the rain will have spread from the center to the northern Negev, according to forecasters, and there is even a chance  of light snow in Jerusalem by nightfall. No accumulation is expected.

The rain will wash away the pollution in the Tel Aviv and other coastal areas, but haze and sand storms will blanket the south , and those who suffer from breathing disorders are advised to remain inside.

Gale-force winds will accompany the storm, which is forecast to dump more snow in the Hermon ski slopes.

Rain will continue into next week, and forecasters are predicting 4-8 inches will fall in some areas.

If predictions come true rainfall and run-off from mountain streams will raise the level of the Kinneret significantly.

El Al has canceled its popular 001 after-midnight flight from Ben Gurion Airport to JFK in New York because of the expected blizzard that is forecast to cripple the Northeast in the United States.

Flight 027 to Newark, New Jersey will take off 11 hours late, and the flight from Newark to Tel Aviv will leave six hours late, but all schedules are subject to change,

More than 1.400 flights have been canceled because of forecast of up to 3 feet of snow and winds of up to 65 MPH.

Tel Aviv Dan company bus driver Herzl Biton has regained consciousness after being stabbed repeatedly by a Palestinian Authority Arab terrorist who attacked him while he was driving.

Despite his wounds, he managed to stop the Number 40 bus and open the door to let the passengers escape from the knife-wielding terrorist.

Biton, 55, was seriously wounded in Wednesday’s attack (Jan. 21).

He is hospitalized at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv. “He fought the terrorist and got hurt more. Please pray for a speedy and full recovery,” his son Yaniv requested.

Biton underwent surgery and was sedated for hours. Although he is no longer fighting for his life, the driver is still in serious condition.  As of Thursday morning eight people were still hospitalized from the attack.

Still fighting for her life and hospitalized at Sourasky is a 69-year-old woman also stabbed by the terrorist.

Two other victims in the same attack are listed in fair condition at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Center. Both are expected to recover.

Hamza Matrouk, 23, of Tulkarm confessed that he launched the attack in hopes of “reaching paradise” in response to radical Islamist jihad programs he had seen on television. He told investigators the attack was also carried out in retaliation for last summer’s IDF counter terror Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, and recent disturbances on the Temple Mount.

Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) agents and IDF soldiers launched a joint operation this morning (Thursday, Jan. 22) to search Matrouk’s home and those of two family members near Tulkarm. Two arrests were made, according to a report broadcast on Army Radio.

A second lone wolf terror stabbing attempt was made by another Palestinian Arab this morning, less than 24 hours after yesterday’s attack.

Police officers in Ra’anana found themselves suddenly struggling with a Palestinian Arab man trying to stab them during an arrest.

The 22-year-old terrorist, a resident of the Palestinian Authority, was originally being detained because he did not have a permit to enter Israel.

While searching him police discovered the man had a knife, but found him suddenly trying to stab them with an additional blade.

No injuries were reported. The attacker was transferred to security personnel at a Kfar Saba precinct for further questioning.

A prison guard unit was credited with gunning down the Arab terrorist who stabbed the driver and nine passengers on a local bus in Tel Aviv Wednesday morning.

The unit was coincidentally driving behind the bus when the guards noticed the bus moving in a reckless manner. At the time, they did not know that the bus driver had been stabbed and had lost full control of the vehicle.

The bus finally came to a stop, and the terrorist and passengers rushed out of the bus.

The guards immediately chased after the attacker, shot in the air and then at his legs when he refused to stop.

An Arab terrorist stabbed the driver and several passengers on a crowded Dan bus on line 40 in central Tel Aviv shortly after 7:15 Wednesday morning. He was shot and  was wounded and is the custody of the police.

The terrorist attacked the driver several times and then plunged his knife at passengers before escaping, with his knife in hand.

Passengers ran after the terrorist, who apparently was shot by a police or security officer.

Magen David Adom said their medics evacuated 10 people, two of them seriously or critically wounded.

All of the victims have been taken from the scene, including five who are being treated for shock.

Police are investigating if the terrorist acted on his own. He is from Tulkarm, east of Netanya.

Hamas praised the attack as “natural reaction” to the “occupation” but did not take responsibility for the stabbings,