Storms pound Israel this week, Sea of Galilee rises

Winter has finally arrived in Israel.

Stormy weather hit the country for the first time in weeks and lasted several days with a cold snap, rain, hail, blustery wind and buckets of snow on Mount Hermon. Cold temperatures throughout the country means snow is also possible in high-elevation cities such as Jerusalem. Temperatures will remain low during for the rest of the week.

But the good news is that the Water Authority reports the Sea of Galilee rose by 6 centimeters (2.36 inches) in 24 hours, putting it now just 99.5 centimeters (3 feet 3 inches) under the upper red line which means full — and almost overflowing. 

This comes after years of drought that threatened the nation’s water supply.

In addition, Mount Hermon, on Israel’s border with Syria and a premier ski area, received over 70 centimeters (2 feet 3 inches) of snow. Unfortunately, the ski center is closed due to ongoing COVID lockdowns.