Snow Hits Cairo, First In 100 Years

Snow_Jerusalem_2013
Snow closes roads in Israel, is a source of wonder in Cairo

CAIRO — Snow coated domes and minarets Friday as a record Mideast storm compounded the suffering of Syrian refugees, sent the Israeli army scrambling to dig out stranded motorists and gave Egyptians a rare glimpse of snow in their capital.

Nearly three feet of snow closed roads in and out of Jerusalem, which is set in high hills, and thousands in and around the city were left without power. Israeli soldiers and police rescued hundreds trapped in their cars by snow and ice. In the West Bank, the branches of olive trees groaned under the weight of snow.

For more on this story: Laura King and Batsheva Sobelman, LA Times