Heavy rain lashed coastal areas
The storm disrupted power supplies in most Lebanese towns and villages, compounding existing power shortages. Portions of the Beirut-Damascus highway linking Lebanon with Syria were closed.
Snow paralyzed the entire movement in the mountain region and led to the suspension of lessons in schools, as well as shops, facilities and institutions, and the storm caused damage to crops and trees, particularly olive trees . In addition to the explosion of water pipes and power outages.
The roads in the Chouf Mountain region are all closed , because of the snow . Only 4 wheel cars or those equipped with steel chains will be able to travel the Chouf roads
Elsewhere in the Middle East there was snow too
In Syria, temperatures dipped below freezing and snow blanketed the hills overlooking Damascus.
High winds of 70km/h (45mph) forced the closure of the Mediterranean ports of Tartous and Lattakia, according to the Syria Meteorology Department.
In Ramallah, residents were surprised to see snow when they woke up.
"I'm originally from Gaza where snow never falls," said Bothaina Smairi, 28, who was out taking photos. "The white snow is covering the old world and I feel like I am in a new world where everything is white, clean, and beautiful."
In Jordan, police said roads into the capital, Amman, were temporarily closed. Announcements on state television warned citizens to stay inside as snow ploughs worked to clear clogged streets.
In Jerusalem, where 20 cm ( 8 inches ) has fallen , dozens of people bundled up in warm clothing and played in the snow at Gan Sacher, the city's central park, where a snowman-building contest was planned.
More snow is expected tomorrow morning according to weather reports
Top picture: Children play with snow in Roum village after a snowstorm hit south Lebanon January 30, 2008.
More pictures courtesy of Reuers
Residents playing in the snow on Wednesday at the ancient Bakhous temple in the Roman city of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley, Lebanon.
A Lebanese soldier walks through snow on the Beirut-Damascus highway, in the mountain town of Sofar, Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008.
A Lebanese man uses a shovel to remove snow from his car in the summer resort town of Aley in central mount Lebanon , east of Beirut, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008.
Tags: Aley, Baalbeck, Chouf, Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanese, Lebanon, Mountains, snow, sofar, Syria
