Snow began falling in large quantities atop Mount Hermon in northern Israel earlier in the week, and meteorologists expected the wintry weather to spread to the rest of the country by Thursday morning.
Moderate snowfall was expected at higher elevations in the northern Galilee region and in most of the Golan Heights, and several inches of snow were even forecast for Jerusalem and higher elevations in central and southern Israel.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat put the municipality on high alert Wednesday and ordered the preparation of road-clearing equipment.
Children in the Israeli capital were eagerly looking forward to a day off school to play with what little snow may stick to the ground.