Hail in the Holyland

Click the photos to enlarge.

So on this night after "Amona," something strange was afoot in Jerusalem.

The night began with the normal winter chill... but then the temperature rose. It warmed up till it felt like a nice early spring night. And it got cloudy. Then we heard the thunder. And then we saw the lightening. Lots of lightening!

Now folks, let me explain something. Jerusalemites never see lightining nor hear thunder here. In the summer it doesn’t rain. And in the winter it’s too cold for thunderstorms. Regardless, soon the rain started to fall.

Only it wasn’t rain.


It was hail.


Hailstones the size of mothballs!


Within minutes the streets were covered with the whitesh “barad.”



Then just like that the hail stopped, and the heavy rain that followed washed it all away,leaving not a trace of the sky pearls.



And then the skies cleared and the stars twinkled and it once again turned into a normal chilly winter night in Jerusalem.

Weird, huh?




Update: Friday we are still getting this wierd weather. Thunder, lightening, hail, heavy rain, very warm and very cold temps. Then clear skys. Repeat.

Here's a photo from Israelweather.co.il: