Mount Terbol, overlooking the Minié region in Northern Lebanon, covered in snow. Photo provided by our correspondent, Michel Hallak.
BEIRUT — On Monday, temperatures plunged to near-freezing levels in Lebanon, with snow falling at 200 meters altitude and even a few flakes falling in Beirut in the morning. While January had been unusually mild, the cold storm dubbed 'Adam' brought snow to Lebanon's mountainous regions starting Sunday evening, even at low altitudes.
Images of Lebanon blanketed in snow have gone viral on social media, particularly in areas that rarely see such winter conditions.
One striking image shows the Virgin of Harissa in Kesrouan district, overlooking the bay of Jounieh, at an elevation of 550 meters, covered in snow.
Snowflakes were also recorded in Aley overnight, as captured in a video by photographer Kamil Al Rayess.
Snow also blanketed the heights of Batroun, on Lebanon's northern coast.
This was also the case in Tripoli, a major city in the north.
In the Bekaa, Zahle has donned its white coat.
Also in the north, Mount Terbol, which overlooks the coastal town of Minieh in Northern Lebanon, was covered in snow for the first time this year, reported our regional correspondent.
Snowplows hard at work
February is known for its unpredictable weather, with dramatic shifts that locals often refer to as its "mood swings" or "kicks." On Monday, snow continued to fall heavily across the country, interspersed with brief clear spells. These breaks allowed rescue and maintenance teams to clear most of the high mountain roads in Akkar.
"The snowplows are working hard to completely clear the Fneidek-Qammouaa road, which is blocked by snow," Khaled Dib, head of operations in Akkar, told our correspondent. For his part, Abdallah Zakaria, president of the grouping of municipalities in the Jurd al-Qaytaa region, also in Akkar, urged motorists to "exercise extreme caution" due to the icy conditions from 600 meters upwards.
In southern Lebanon, the snow began to fall at altitudes of 400 meters and above, sometimes even covering villages close to the coast, as well as Saida and Nabatieh, according to our regional correspondent.
Jezzine's mountains, in southern Lebanon Jezzine district, snow blocked several roads, including one to the town of Kfar Hona. The villages of Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil were also blanketed in snow. "The snow covered rubble and debris [caused by Israeli attacks] in border villages such as Kfar Kila, Khiam, and Bint Jbeil," reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Weather forecast
The weather will remain unstable and cold on Monday and into Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly afterward but will remain below seasonal averages. The risk of icy conditions will persist, particularly overnight and at dawn, in the mountains above 700 meters. Tuesday and Wednesday are forecasted to be cloudy, with fog in the mountain areas.
The Works Ministry, whose teams are working to reopen snow-covered roads, has called on citizens to exercise caution in mountainous areas.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
