Israel has been blessed with an unusually wet winter already, and severe rain has been experienced all over the country since Saturday. However, the rain is expected to turn to snow beginning as early as Wednesday PM. That means you may see scenes like these:

Mt. Hermon covered in snow. Photo courtesy of BiblePlaces.com

One of the most common questions asked about the climate/weather in Israel is, “Does it ever snow?” Many are surprised to hear that it does actually snow in Israel, and that Israel has a ski area in the Golan Heights on Mt. Hermon, which is on the northern border that is shared with Lebanon and Syria. By the way, there is a clue in the Bible that Israel gets snow: Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made whiter than snow.”

You can find out more about this ski area, listed by Popular Mechanics as one of “The World’s 18 Strangest Ski Resorts,” at the Ski Hermon website.

Mt. of Olives cemetery with snow. Photo courtesy of BiblePlaces.com

Every other year or so, the higher elevations of the country also get snow, sometimes pretty heavy snows.

In this photo, the cemetery on the Mt of Olives has a nice blanket of snow. In the distance, you can see the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

If you are interested to know more about the weather in Israel, you can see The Weather Channel’s 10-day forecast here.

All of the precipitation is good news. Not only does it mean stunningly beautiful touring in the late winter and spring, it also replenishes the Sea of Galilee, which has reached dangerously low water levels.