The Mount Hermon site has been closed to visitors since October 7 and, despite the beautiful snow that fell over the weekend and continues to fall, the site will remain closed. In a conversation with Ynet Live, Miki Inbar, vice-president of marketing and spokeswoman for the site, talked about the heavy economic damage and the attempts of some Israelis to reach Mount Hermon, even though it is now a closed military zone.
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"Unfortunately, Mount Hermon will remain closed as long as the security reality continues to be the same, but still the snow is very beautiful and are always exciting," she said.
How much snow has fallen on the Hermon so far?
"At the lower level, close to 30 cm of snow fell, and at the upper level close to half a meter. This winter system has actually just started, and it is expected to intensify over the next few days. If we were in a normal year, it is likely that at the end of the week we would have already opened the site for skiing.
"Most of our permanent employees have gone on unpaid leave, and only a team that maintains the place remains. Regarding all those temporary workers who come to us every winter to work - there are around 300 workers, unfortunately this year we had to tell them: 'Guys, the site will remain closed.' This is a fatal economic blow, not only to the site but also to those employees, to all tourism in the north which has been virtually silent since October 7. We always say that we are an important economic anchor for northern tourism, but unfortunately everything is paralyzed with huge economic losses for everyone," according to Inbar.
"Even with the coronavirus we were able to open under certain restrictions. We don't remember such a blow, we don't remember an event where the site was closed for such a long time and, because of this reality, the situation is really very difficult," she added.
"On Friday, when the talk about snow started, several cars of fanatics gathered, so we are very careful to say: 'Guys, the site is closed, you can't get there.' It's a closed military zone, all those people who think they'll come from all kinds of directions, it's just a shame, it's very dangerous and it's really not a joke anymore, it's a shame to try to get to us because it puts you at risk."
The forecast: Rainy and colder than usual, heavy snow on Mount Hermon
Local rains fell Sunday in the north and center of the country. On Mount Hermon it snowed, and there is concern of floods in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. The temperatures throughout the country are still slightly lower than normal for the season. From the evening hours and during the night the rains will intensify, and will spread from the north of the country to the north of the Negev, along with thunderstorms. There is a fear of flooding in the cities along the coastal plain.
Monday it is expected to rain intermittently, accompanied by thunderstorms, in the north and center of the country. In the river beds of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea there is a slight fear of floods, and the weather will still be slightly colder than usual for the season. At night the rains and winds will strengthen again, mainly along the coastal plain, and there is a fear of local flooding along the coastal plain.
On Tuesday, it is forecast to rain at times, accompanied by thunderstorms, in the north and center of the country. In the afternoon the rain will also spread to the north of the Negev. There is a fear of local flooding along the coast, and a concern about flooding in the streams of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. Snow could fall on the high peaks of the northern and Samaria mountains, accompanied by strong winds. The weather will become extremely cold.