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Today, we will tell you about a winter storm that brought heavy snowfall to the Middle East. And we will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about snow. Snowfall is common in many areas during the winter. But snow recently fell in some places where it is rarely seen. The eastern Mediterranean received what has been called its worst winter storm in 20 years in early January. Weather experts say the storm produced as much snow and rainfall as the average precipitation totals for all winter long. The storm affected life in many cities, from Gaza to Istanbul. It also worsened the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and the one million other Syrians displaced from their homes by almost two years of conflict. As much as 15 centimeters of snow fell in cities like Jerusalem, Ramallah, Amman and Damascus. As much as 30 centimeters of snow covered rural areas of Jordan and northern Israel. Officials there closed public transportation, schools, and government offices because of the snow. Many businesses did not open because their workers could not get to work. But the news was not all bad. Some people enjoyed the snowfall. Israeli President Shimon Peres went outside and placed a hat on a snowman. “It is so rare, so beautiful, so unifying. Whatever happens in Jerusalem is a blessing. This time it’s a blessing in white.” Snow is a subject of great interest to weather experts. They sometimes have difficulty estimating where, when or how much snow will fall. One reason is that heavy amounts of snow fall in surprisingly small areas. Another reason is that a small change in temperature can mean the difference between snow and rain. | 
