Photo Credit: IDF
On days such as these, the IDF Alpine Unit is out. The snow clearing and rescue unit of the Hermon practices skiing, climbing, shooting, and rescue drills in snow covered regions. The unit is comprised of reserve soldiers who were formerly part of other elite units and who volunteered to serve.

The winter season has finally arrived in Israel – for real – and the winter weather is here along with it. Hot chocolate, soup and fresh crusty bread with all the extras are definitely in order for the next few days.

Skiing fans are celebrating the light snow that began falling Thursday morning on Mount Hermon. But bundle up; it’s cold out there! According to reports from the Israel Meteorological Service (IMS), more snow is expected to blanket the mountain peaks by Thursday night.

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The Hermon area is closed to visitors due to the winter storm conditions so the celebrations are a little premature. It’s going to take a little bit before the ski resorts can get their places underway.

Children in the Golan Heights likewise can expect to have a reason to pull out their sleds by Friday: the white stuff is predicted to drop upon the region in the Golan as well.

The snowstorm will send a few flurries towards the Galilee region, but that area is more likely to see raindrops than flakes – lots of rain.

Israel’s Water Authority in particular is hoping that the next few days of precipitation will be enough to restore the four centimeter drop in the water level of Lake Kinneret that was found when the basin was measured this week. The lake, also known as the Sea of Galilee, is considered Israel’s largest reservoir for drinking water.

Plunging temperatures, whipping winds and stormy conditions are expected elsewhere around the country starting towards the end of the day on Thursday and continuing to Sunday.

Likewise, the central and southern regions in Israel can expect to see rainfall. Flash flooding warnings have been issued in the Negev and around the Judean desert, particularly in the Dead Sea region.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.