Hermon gets early dusting of snow

For the first time since 1986, snow fell in November on Mount Hermon, 1,200 meters above sea level, 400 meters beneath the peak of the mountain.

The snow was just one example of the intense weather conditions that prevailed yesterday, with powerful winds and rains buffeting much of the country's north and center.

Despite nearly 24 hours of snowfall in the north, the ski resort at Neve Ativ reported that there is still not enough snow yet to open trails to skiers.

Meteorologists said that the wintry conditions, considered unusual for November, reached their climax yesterday afternoon, and that the rain will taper off today as temperatures remain lower than usual. Tomorrow local showers are still possible, and there will be a slight rise in temperatures.

Thanks to the rain, Lake Kinneret's level rose by half a centimeter, to -210.8 meters below sea level, two meters under the new upper limit. As of 4 P.M. yesterday, there had been 19 millimeters of rain in Haifa, 13.5 in Tel Aviv, 64 in Jerusalem and 26 in Be'er Sheva.

The heavy rains caused the flooding of homes in the Lod neighborhood bordering the expansive Israel Railways compound in the town, with residents blaming new drainage channels dug by Israel Railways for the damage.

Israel Railways rejected the claims, saying that the flooding was probably caused by local infrastructure problems. But the state railroad company sent crews to help Lod city hall workers pump water out of the homes affected by the flooding.