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2013 Middle East cold snap

2013 Middle East cold snap
Formed December 11, 2013
Dissipated December 15, 2013

The 2013 Middle East cold snap, also referred to as Alexa, refers to the winter storm that hit the Middle East region in December 2013, affecting Israel, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. The storm caused mayhem to millions of poor and displaced people across the region, especially afflicting refugees from the Syrian conflict.

By December 14, the storm had covered the island's Troodos mountain range with snow. Snowing had begun several days earlier, with snow reaching a peak thickness of 70 cm (28 inches) in Troodos. Four hundred customers lost electricity, and several villages, including Armenohori, Farmakas, Kampi, and Sina Oros, completely lost it for extended periods of time.

Egypt's capital Cairo witnessed extremely rare snowfall (mostly graupel) on Friday December 13 that the local media claimed to be the first in 112 years and night temperature was expected to drop as low as 2 °C (36 °F). Snow also fell heavily on Sinai mountains.

On 13 December 2013, 40–70 cm (16–28 in) of snow fell in Jerusalem and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in the Kefar Etzion area. Warmer parts of Israel received heavy rains, causing floods. The railway into Jerusalem ran although it was Sabbath for people stranded by blocked roads.

Roads were closed in Israel by deep snow and flooding. Storm clouds prompted Ben Gurion International Airport to shut down, forcing US Secretary of State John Kerry to cut short his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to return to Israel before roads and airports were out of service. Jerusalem was cut off for 48 hours by deep snow and flooding and cars abandoned after they got stuck in snow.


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