A large snowstorm shut down Jerusalem and cut it off from other parts of the country, according to press reports in Israel.
As the biggest storm in decades to hit Israel peaked, the citizens of Jerusalem and higher altitude communities nationwide awoke Thursday to find their city covered in snow.
Shortly before 5:00 am, the Jerusalem Municipality announced a snow day for city schools and preschools, joining several West Bank settlements which had canceled all school activities for the day.
All roads leading into Jerusalem were blocked due to the snowstorm and the traffic inside the city
was low. Highway 443 was reopened to traffic around 11:00 am but Highway 1 remained closed from Jerusalem to Ben Shemen, in both directions.The public transport systems in the capital were paralyzed in the morning and the city asked residents not to drive their cars as many vehicles were trapped and were obstructing the movement of snow plows. Light Rail service was restored around 10:00 am.
The Golden City has been covered in white since Wednesday night.
