First snow of winter falls on Mount Hermon after weekend of heavy rain, flooding across Israel
Footage shared on social media from the Hermon Stream (Banias) Nature Reserve in northern Israel on Sunday shows a rushing Banias waterfall and fast-flowing water in the nearby streams.
On Monday night, the first snow of the 2026 winter season blanketed Mount Hermon, a mountain range straddling the Israel-Lebanon border. Mount Hermon, home to Israel's sole ski resort, sits at 2,224 to 2,236 meters above sea level. This snowfall came on the heels of a weekend marked by heavy rain and storms, resulting in severe flooding across various parts of Israel.
The Banias Nature Reserve in northern Israel witnessed the consequences of the intense weather, with the Banias waterfall rushing and streams flowing rapidly, as captured in social media footage. The Kinneret's water level increased by merely one centimeter over the weekend, following record rainfall in central and northern Israel, which stood at 213.70 meters below sea level.
The Water Authority reported that approximately 20 millimeters of rain fell on the lake during the weekend, while the Jordan River's flow was minimal, measuring six cubic meters per second.
The impact of the rain on the Jordan River remains relatively insignificant, according to Itay Dudi, a spokesperson for the Water Authority. Most of the rainfall during the recent weather system fell in Israel's coastal plain, especially in the south. Dudi further stated that the water level of the Kinneret is among the lowest recorded for November 8 in the past decade.
In fact, it is lower by 3 centimeters compared to the same time last year, 58 centimeters lower than it was in 2017, and 94 centimeters lower than during the 2018 winter season.
Additionally, the Sharon region experienced flooding during the weekend, affecting areas such as Kadima-Zoran. The local council in the region strongly advised residents to remain indoors and avoid non-essential activities. Israel's Meteorological Service data revealed that the Kadima weather station recorded an extraordinary 117 millimeters of rain in just an hour and a quarter, a record for the Sharon region.
Following the flooding, council teams were dispatched to clear hazards, remove obstructions, and drain standing water.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
