Holy Land under snow: 24 photos of the unusual weather in Jerusalem

A general view of Jerusalem’s Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in the background, as the snow starts to fall in Jerusalem February 17, 2021 REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg

Jerusalem woke up covered in white after a snowstorm which began Wednesday night and forced authorities to close public transport and block access to the city.

In the morning, the children played with snowballs in front of the gates of the Old City, while the faithful walked towards the holiest places of the three religions that coexist in Jerusalem: Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

According to estimates by the Jerusalem Municipality, some areas of the city saw accumulations of up to 15 centimeters of snow.

The storm is expected to weaken this Thursday, with any precipitation turning mostly to rain. Nevertheless, temperatures will stay cold and there could be strong winds, especially in the north and on the coast.

People play in the snow and take selfies on a snowy morning in Jerusalem, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar Awad

A girl plays next to the Dome of the Rock in the complex known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary on a snowy morning in the Old City of Jerusalem on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar awad

An ultra-Orthodox Jew enters the old city of Jerusalem through the snow-covered Damascus Gate (REUTERS / Ammar Awad)

A woman walks her dog in a park on a snowy morning in Jerusalem, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy plays with the snow in a park on a snowy morning in Jerusalem, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun

People play with snow in a park on a snowy morning in Jerusalem, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun

The roofs of the old city of Jerusalem covered in snow, on February 18, 2021. Photograph taken with a drone. REUTERS / Ilan Rosenberg

A woman stands by the Dome of the Rock at the complex known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary on a snowy morning in the Old City of Jerusalem on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar Awad

People play next to the Dome of the Rock in the complex known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary on a snowy morning in Jerusalem’s Old City on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar awad

People build a snowman next to the Dome of the Rock at the complex known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary on a snowy morning in the Old City of Jerusalem, on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar Awad

REUTERS / Ammar Awad

A man walks by the Dome of the Rock on a snowy morning in Jerusalem’s Old City, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar Awad

Muslims pray by the Dome of the Rock on a snowy morning in Jerusalem’s Old City, February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ammar Awad

A man cleans snow from the ground next to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer place, in the Old City of Jerusalem on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun

Snow-covered prayer stalls at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer place, in the Old City of Jerusalem on February 18, 2021. REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun