Parts of Saudi Arabia witnessed heir first snowfall in years, blocking roads and cutting off vaccination centres. Footage showing the unlikely scene of camels being buffeted by a snow flurry outside the city of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia was shared widely on social media. Tourists reportedly came from as far away as the UAE to witness the snowfall, which is not uncommon in the mountainous area surrounding Tabuk but marks a stark contrast to the dry, desert-like conditions elsewhere in the region. Saudi authorities on Wednesday issued weather warnings including thunderstorms, snow showers and high winds across much of the country.
Weather expert Abdullah Al-Misnad said snow in the Tabuk region would see the permanent snow line drop to 1,000 meters. In January, thick snow blanketed the Aseer region, which is south of Saudi city of Mecca along the coast of the Red Sea. The weather event was said to have been the first time in more than 50 years that snow had fallen there. Elsewhere this week, in northern Jordan, 20 centimeters of snow fell while wintry showers also affected the capital, Amman. There, severe weather conditions closed schools and universities and the COVID-19 vaccination programme was suspended. Neighbouring Israel also saw snowfall including in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. On Wednesday night, Israeli police closed the main road linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem due to snow. Pictures and videos shared on Twitter show cities like Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and Del Rio covered in a blanket of snow.