Middle East Snow: How Syria, Jordan & Israel Turned Into a Winter Wonderland

So you think it never snows in the Middle East, which is known for its arid landscapes and sweltering weather. Tuesday's snowfall proved that the region, from Turkey to Israel, can indeed experience chilly spells.

"Much colder-than-average air pushed into the region associated with an unusually sharp dip in the jet stream this week, bringing a storm with strong winds and in some locations, snowfall," Mashable reported. "For an area that doesn't often see widespread snowfall, the past two winters have seen significant storms blanket the Middle East."

This is not the first time, however, that the region has been covered in snow. In December 2013, a "rare winter storm" entered the Middle East (still on a Tuesday, December 10^th) and dumped much snow in places that never really get it.

"Jerusalem recorded an impressive 15-20 inches of snow," EarthSky said. "It was the most snow ever recorded in that region in the month of December for at least 60 years."

Notably, that 2013 snowstorm also affected areas beyond Israel, such as Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Northern Syria, Egypt, Iran, and the Palestinian territories.

The storm that affected pretty much the same region beginning Tuesday January 6 has been named "Huda" in Jordan and "Zina" in Lebanon according to Al Arabiya News.

"In Jordan, people are storing food and fuel in anticipation of possible shutdown of main roads and stores during the storm," the news source said. "On Thursday and Friday, temperatures in the capital Amman are expected to fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius)."

"Snow is expected to accumulate between 1-3 inches (2.5-7.6 centimeters)," the publication added.

"Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said major roads leading in and out of the city would be closed to prevent a repeat of the chaos that occurred during a 2013 snowstorm, when hundreds of cars were stranded on highways near Jerusalem's entrance," U-T San Diego said. "As temperatures began to fall, anxious Israelis flooded supermarkets, stocking up on food."

Meanwhile, Syria, along with Lebanon and Israel, has been battered by strong waves coming from the Mediterranean Sea. It's also been reported that Tartous and Latakia, Syria's two main ports, had been closed due to 74-kph winds causing 5-meter (or more) waves.

"The snow storm is expected to hit parts of Israel and the Palestinian territories, and Jordan has sent snowploughs to the West Bank," Al Arabiya News said.

Further, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since encouraged residents to help out and "keep an eye on neighbors," Mashable noted.

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