The fiercest winter storm to hit the Mideast in years brought a rare foot of snow to Jordan on Wednesday.
 
In Israel, snow fell outside Jerusalem and in the northern Golan Heights, according to the Jerusalem Post. Three feet of snow fell on Mount Hermon and flakes were falling in Nazareth as well as in the Galilee. Several roads were closed in the north of Israel due to unusual heavy snowfall.
 
The unusually heavy snowfall blocked streets in the capital Amman and isolated remote villages, prompting warnings from authorities for people to stay home as snow plows tried to reopen clogged roads.
 
In Lebanon, record snow in the mountains blocked traffic and shut down mountain passes. Later Wednesday, snow is forecast at altitudes higher than 200 yards (meters).
 
Snow was piling up in and around the Syrian capital of Damascus. Officials said many villages in central Homs province and along the southern border with Israel have been cut off after heavy snow fall. Torrential rains are expected over the next three days and temperatures are expected to remain around freezing.
 
http://www.therecord.com/news/world/article/866986–winter-storm-takes-toll-across-mideast