The cedar reserve of Karam Chbat in Akkar, covered by snow. Photo provided by Michel Hallak.
BEIRUT — After an unusually warm January, winter appears to have returned to Lebanon in February. A cold wave that has gripped the country in recent days has brought rain and snow, particularly in the north, where many landscapes have been blanketed in white.
Snowfall was recorded at elevations as low as 1,200 meters in North Lebanon and Akkar, according to our regional correspondent. Hailstorms were also reported in mountainous and coastal regions of the north. In the Karam Shbat cedar reserve in Akkar, snow accumulation reached 70 centimeters in some areas.
The Public Works Ministry reopened most of the snow-covered roads in northern Lebanon on Wednesday, with the exception of those in Qammoua and Qobeyat, said Khaled Dib, head of the snow removal team in the Jurd al-Qytah region, as well as in Wadi Khaled and Akkar. The road connecting Meshmech to Marjahin-Hermel remains closed, Dib added, advising motorists to avoid mountain roads at night and in the early morning due to icy conditions.
In the Bekaa Valley, the road linking Dahr al-Baydar to Tarshish and Zahle was open to all vehicles on Wednesday after brief snowfall, according to the traffic center of the Internal Security Forces (ISF). However, no snow was reported in West Bekaa, according to regional correspondent.
Meanwhile, several roads remain closed due to snow, including those connecting Ainata-Arz, Kfardebian-Hadath Baalbeck, Akoura-Hadath Baalbeck, Hermel-Sir el-Denniyeh, Hermel-Qobeyat, and Maasser al-Chouf-Kefraya, the ISF center said.
'Far from catching up' on precipitation
According to the civil aviation weather forecasting center (METEO), Thursday's weather is expected to be cloudy, with a slight increase in temperatures along the coast. No significant temperature changes are anticipated at higher altitudes, but temperatures will likely continue to drop inland. Heavy rains are expected in northern Lebanon, possibly accompanied by thunderstorms and winds reaching 75 km/h. On the coast, caution is advised for waves that could reach 2 meters. Snow and ice are forecast at elevations of 1,000 meters and above, with rain expected to ease by the evening.
Jocelyne Abou Fares, head of the forecasting division at METEO Liban, told L'Orient-Le Jour that while February has brought more typical winter weather, "the precipitation is nevertheless far from allowing Lebanon to catch up" to compensate for the deficit caused by the dry, spring-like conditions of January. Despite the current weather system, the rainfall remains insufficient to replenish groundwater and surface watercourses, pointing to a near-certain water shortage this summer.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
