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Some 20 centimeters (8 inches) of snow accumulated on the ground in the capital, and officials closed schools and advised residents to remain at home. (AP)
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| By Ellis Shuman February 25, 2003 |
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Heavy snow continued to fall in Jerusalem and other hilly areas of the country Tuesday morning. Some twenty centimeters (8 inches) of snow accumulated on the ground in the capital overnight, and officials closed schools and advised residents to remain at home. The Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway is closed in both directions from Shaar Hagay, as are other access roads to the capital. The storm is expected to continue until Wednesday evening.
Heavy snowfall was also reported on the Golan Heights, in the western Galilee, and in Hebron and Ramallah. Schools were also closed in Ariel and Efrat. Rain has been falling intermittently in Tel Aviv and other low-lying areas. Weather forecasts predict that the rain will spread to the south and that snow may fall in the high areas of the Negev.
Emergency medical crews were called to help a Safed woman give birth in her home, as she was unable to get to a city hospital.
In Jerusalem, public transportation was not running by midmorning, but municipality snowplows continued to clear roads and spread salt to allow vehicular traffic. Jerusalem court sessions were cancelled, as were Knesset activities.
Due to the heavy rainfall, flooding was reported in many areas of the north. The waters of the Kishon River flooded into homes of a neighborhood near Kiryat Tivon. In Nazareth Illit, a supporting wall collapsed on a home; no injuries were reported.
Residents of Kfar Giladi, Dan, Dafna, Sneer and Maayan Baruch in the upper Galilee were advised to boil water as floodwaters had contaminated their water supplies.
The Hermon ski resort was closed for the second straight day due to heavy snowfall in the area.
Heavy damage was reported to agricultural fields, and farmers reported that fish were lost from their fishponds when the Jordan River flooded.
The level of water in the Kinneret rose by seven centimeters yesterday, bringing the level of the lake to minus 212.19 meters.
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