Israel on course for its coldest March in 100 years

Meteorologists say in past 10 days average temperatures ranged between 4-8 degrees Celsius - much lower than what Israelis are accustomed to in this time of year; forecasts point to continuation of cold weather for rest of the month
Ynet|
Although the calendar indicates that spring is around the corner, recent weather has left Israelis wrapped up in their coats for much longer than expected, with Israel now heading towards its coldest month of March in nearly 100 years.
  • Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter

  • March 21st marks the first official day of spring, in the Northern Hemisphere with the vernal equinox as the entire world experiences an equal day and night. But, the last ten days have proven Israelis will have to wait until next month for the official spring season.
    2 View gallery
    שלג ברחוב יפו בירושלים
    שלג ברחוב יפו בירושלים
    Snow in Jerusalem earlier this month
    (Photo: Yoav Dudkevich)
    According to the Israel Meteorological Service, in the past 10 days temperatures ranged between 7-8 degrees Celsius along mountain ranges during the day - much lower than the seasonal average.
    Along the coastal plain, the weather ranged 5-6 degrees Celsius during the day, which is also below seasonal average.
    A comparison of the temperatures in the past ten days to the average weather in the same time period in previous years indicate a significant drop.
    2 View gallery
    שלג בהר הנגב
    שלג בהר הנגב
    Snow on the Negev Mountains in March
    (Photo: Sharon Fisher)
    For instance, the northern local authorities of Beit Dagan and Safed, both with recorded history of less than 100 years, have never reported such low temperatures.
    Jerusalem, which has been recording temperatures since 1867, has seen similar weather in this time of yera only back in 1928. Be'er Sheva, meanwhile, hasn't experienced temperatures these low since 1948.
    The cold weather is supposed to continue for the coming days, with the month of March set to be one of the coldest recorded yet, potentially with the exception of March 1953.
    Comments
    The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
    ""