Skip linksSkip to Content
play
Live
Navigation menu
  • News
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Explained
  • Opinion
  • Sport
  • Video
    • Features
    • Economy
    • Human Rights
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Podcasts
    • Travel
play
Live

In Pictures

Gallery|Weather

In Pictures: Jerusalem turns white after rare snowfall

Jerusalem woke up to a rare experience, with its holy sites under a layer of white after an overnight snowstorm.

Save

Share

facebooktwitterwhatsappcopylink
Children play as the old city is covered in snow, in Jerusalem. [Abir Sultan/EPA]
By News Agencies
Published On 18 Feb 202118 Feb 2021

Jerusalem woke up to the rare experience of seeing its holy sites covered in snow on Thursday, with the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall under a layer of white after an overnight snowstorm.

Before dawn children were up hurling snowballs at each other outside the Old City gates, as the faithful trudged to sites holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

The snowstorm began on Wednesday evening, leading the authorities to shut down public transportation and block the main road to Jerusalem.

But as it eased overnight the municipality said it would resume services.

The snowfall, which also landed in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, covered areas in the region it has not reached in years, disrupting traffic and postponing vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 and even exams at some universities.

Israel's controversial separation wall and the Palestinian Shuafat refugee camp following heavy snowfall in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Advertisement
People build a snowman in Sacher Park in Jerusalem. [Abir Sultan/EPA]
People play with snow and take selfies in Jerusalem. The authorities forecast heavy thunderstorms and cold temperatures across much of the country. [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
A woman holding a dog slides down a snow-covered slope. [Menahem Kahana/AFP]
People walk as snow falls on a main street in Jerusalem. [Abir Sultan/EPA]
The snowfall disrupting traffic in the city. [Atef Safadi/EPA]
Advertisement
A man poses with a snowman wearing a protestive mask at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Roofs of Jerusalem's Old City are covered with snow during a snowy morning in Jerusalem. [Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters]
A bulldozer clears a snow-covered road along the walls of Jerusalem. [Emmanuel Dunand/AFP]
Snow falls at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]

Related

  • Flash flooding swamps Hawaii, prompting evacuation orders for 5,500 people

    Oahu’s emergency office has ordered residents in the Waialua area to ‘leave now’ amid risk of road failures.

    Published On 21 Mar 202621 Mar 2026
    Fooding covers a residential neighborhood in Waialua, Hawaii, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)
  • From: NewsFeed

    Sandstorm hits Gaza, impacting displaced Palestinians

    Sandstorm hits Gaza, impacting displaced Palestinians

    Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026
    Video Duration 00 minutes 40 seconds play-arrow00:40
  • Two killed as tornadoes sweep across US Midwest in latest extreme weather

    ‘Supercell’ thunderstorms hit Illinois and Indiana, after eight people killed by tornadoes in US Midwest last week.

    Published On 11 Mar 202611 Mar 2026
    LAKE VILLAGE, INDIANA - MARCH 11: Mike Dresbaugh helps clean up debris from around a home after a tornado passed through the small town yesterday, on March 11, 2026 in Lake Village, Indiana. Several tornadoes passed through Indiana and Illinois yesterday, leaving behind a path of destruction and at least two people dead in Lake Village. Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
  • At least 42 people killed in days of floods across Kenya

    Authorities say 26 people died in capital Nairobi as floodwaters submerged homes and carried away vehicles.

    Published On 9 Mar 20269 Mar 2026
    People salvage property from receding floodwaters in Nairobi, Kenya

More from Gallery

  • Photos: Manila’s streets empty as fuel prices surge amid Hormuz crisis

    A sharp increase in prices of basic commodities and the possible loss of employment for thousands of people due to the fuel price hike have raised the spectre of stagflation in the Philippines.
    This gallery article has 10 imagescamera10
  • Photos: More than one million displaced by Israel’s evacuations in Lebanon

    Over one million displaced by Israel’s evacuations in Lebanon
    This gallery article has 10 imagescamera10
  • Migrants march in southern Mexico to denounce immigration restrictions

    Migrants, some carrying children, walk on the highway through the municipality of Huehuetan, Chiapas state, Mexico, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, after leaving Tapachula the previous night. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)
    This gallery article has 9 imagescamera9
  • Photos: Iran fires new waves of missiles at Israel

    This picture shows damaged buildings at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv
    This gallery article has 8 imagescamera8

Most popular

  • Tehran vows to extract ‘heavy price’ for Israeli hits on two nuclear sites

    TOPSHOT - This video grab taken from images released by the Iranian state broadcaster (IRIB) on March 26, 2026, shows what it says is the second phase of the 82nd wave of missiles launched against Israel and US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
  • US diplomat Marco Rubio denounces settler violence, tolls in Hormuz strait

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he speaks to the press before his departure following a G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting with Partner Countries before his departure at the Bourget airport in Le Bourget, outside Paris, France, March 27, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/Pool via REUTERS
  • FBI director Kash Patel’s emails, photos hacked by Iran-linked group

    FILE PHOTO: FBI Director Kash Patel announces the apprehension of Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list, during a press conference in Ontario, California, U.S., January 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo
  • How extensive is Russia’s military aid to Iran?

    Iranian missile strikes

  • About

    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Sitemap
    • Work for us
  • Connect

    • Contact Us
    • User Accounts Help
    • Advertise with us
    • Stay Connected
    • Newsletters
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Submit a Tip
    • Paid Partner Content
  • Our Channels

    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+
  • Our Network

    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

Follow Al Jazeera English:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram-colored-outline
  • rss
Al Jazeera Media Network logo
© 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network