3 FEET of snow in Middle East

[Dr Mordrid]

I would love to have seen their main roads & highways turn into BumperCars :rofl:

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-snow-israel-egypt-20131213,0,1691393.story#axzz2nMzV6vMp

CAIRO -- Snow coated domes and minarets Friday as a record Middle East 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.

In Cairo, where local news reports said the last recorded snowfall was more than 100 years ago, children in outlying districts capered in white-covered streets, and adults marveled at the sight, tweeting pictures of snow-dusted parks and squares. In other parts of the city, rain and hail rocketed down.

Photos: Rare snow blankets Middle East

On social media, some joked that the snowfall was the mystical work of Gen. Abdel Fattah Sisi, the military strongman who is the focus of something of a cult of personality among his followers. Sisi led the coup five months ago against the highly unpopular but democratically elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi.
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[KRSESQ]

I don't know if this counts as evidence of anthropogenic climate change, but there's no denying it's damned peculiar.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't know if this counts as evidence of anthropogenic climate change, but there's no denying it's damned peculiar.

Definitely not! And it is quite common for snow to fall in the Middle East. I remember I was in Port Fouad in Feb. 1952 and it snowed there, on the day the old king died - and that was by the sea. So were the two events related? Of course not! And climate is not the same thing as weather. Sporadic exceptional weather hardly touches climate. In fact, the Middle East climate temperature is rising faster than the global changes and the IPCC consensus is to expect increased desertification in the Mediterranean basin.

To take the title, I'm afraid it is misleading. The 3 feet mentioned is for Jerusalem, not Cairo, which had only about 5 cm on the higher parts. This concurs with the photo, where you can easily see the black and white striping of the curbstones. With 3 feet, you would not have been able to see the roadway. As for Jerusalem, it gets snow nearly every year, although 3 feet may be exceptional.

In Cyprus, we have a number of ski lifts on and around Mt. Olympus (1951 m). At about 1800 m, the village of Troodos becomes a ski resort for 2-3 months in most years (and a centre for hill walking in Summer!). It should be open now, but the roads are blocked. There is a live webcam at http://www.skicyprus.com/skicyprus/cam/camcyprusski.asp. The facilities may open today or tomorrow. However, the average number of days they are open has diminished drastically over the past 20-30 years and this may be an indication of climate change.

In the 16 years we have lived here, in our village at 250-300 m, I've seen snow twice. The first time was just a brief flurry but the second time, a sprinkling settled for about one hour. This year, we are desperate for rain/snow as we have been in drought since January. I measured precipitation levels at under half the normal, including the 17,8 mm so far this month. For December, it has been much colder than normal (the last three nights' minima have all been 1.6 C) with daytime maxima about 7-9 C. Our central heating has been on at full blast, which is rare.

Many do not realise that the State of Georgia is roughly at the same latitude as the Nile delta from Cairo northwards. Snow is certainly not unknown in GA, so why should snow in Cairo be such a surprise?

[Dr Mordrid]

Changed the title, but I'd still love to see how ME drivers handle snow

[Brian Ellis]

Changed the title, but I'd still love to see how ME drivers handle snow

As a general rule, badly! I don't know about Lebanon, Syria and Israel uplands where snow falls abundantly each year. In more lowland areas, it is rare to have snow freezing and the sprinklings thaw very rapidly, so it is rarely a serious issue. Here, the cops close the mountain roads when it is more than a few cm, so that the ploughs can work unhindered. If there are any deposits on open roads, only vehicles with 4WD or equipped with chains are permitted to use them. Snow tyres are unknown.

The day before yesterday, when snow fell abundantly down to sea level in some places, there were 5 weather-related road accidents, happily with only one broken leg and much scrap iron!

Looking back to my 35 years in Switzerland, I find the attitudes here (and in the UK!) mirthful!