Heavy rain and snow of at least 1,000 meters deep in Lebanon, risk of frost in the mountains

There has been heavy rainfall and snowfall in Lebanon since Monday, due to an atmospheric depression that should start to weaken as of Tuesday evening. Despite the return of good weather, Lebanon Weather warns of a risk of frost in the mountains.

"An average of 95 mm of precipitation fell in 24 hours in North Lebanon, which is the most affected region of the country. It snowed from an altitude of 1,200 meters, and sometimes even lower, including in some areas of the Bekaa at slightly lower elevations. Hail is also expected along the coast," summarized for L'Orient-Le Jour Jocelyne Abou Fares, division head at Lebanon Weather.

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The Ministry of Public Works, which has communicated regularly since the start of winter about road clearing operations, has published several videos since Monday showing the extent of the snow cover. Contacted in mid-morning, a spokesperson for the Mzaar ski resort indicated that the snow depth reached 50 cm at the base of the slopes and that snowfall was ongoing.

Our North Lebanon correspondent reported that it had snowed over all the heights in Akkar, with snow depth reaching about 20 cm at 1,400 meters and over 50 cm in al-Qammoua. Our South Lebanon correspondent reported that it had snowed in Jezzine, while our correspondent in the Bekaa noted that Lake Qaraoun, which is located at less than 900 meters in elevation, had been covered by snow.

According to Lebanon Weather, the bad weather arrived slightly later in South Lebanon compared to other regions and should reach its peak intensity this Tuesday.

For the first time this year, the area of the Qaraoun dam and lake was covered with snow, an exceptional winter spectacle that reflects the strength of weather depressions and their direct impact on the upper basin of the Litani River.

Contacted, the press office of the Ministry of Public Works assured that there had been no major issues, a finding echoed by a Civil Defense spokesperson. However, they reiterated appeals to citizens not to throw trash on the roads, as debris blocks stormwater drainage systems.

In a statement on its X account, the Ministry of Education called, as usual, for all types of educational institutions to decide whether or not to close "due to weather conditions." Public schools were already closed anyway due to a strike.

In North Lebanon, all schools in a number of localities were closed due to the drop in temperatures and the impossibility for buses to transport students, a trend followed less in the South, Kesrouan, or Metn.

Abou Fares added that the amount of rainfall increases the risk of mudslides and landslides, and that the bad weather was also accompanied by strong winds that sometimes exceeded 90 km/h, mainly in North Lebanon but also elsewhere in the country.

In South Lebanon, several roads were flooded before being cleared, according to our correspondent, who also reported a waterspout off the coast of Saida on Tuesday morning and hail on the coastal roads between Saida and Sour.

Our correspondent in the North also reported that several localities along the Kabir River were flooded due to rising waters. The Beirut River, which flows through the Metn valley to its mouth near the quarantine zone of the port, was also flowing strongly.

Among the most dramatic incidents, filmed and shared on social media by users, a palm tree was uprooted by the wind in the Kaskas neighborhood (near Mazraa) in Beirut, and a complete installation of solar panels on the roof of a building was blown off.

The Civil Defense spokesperson stated that another tree fell in Naccache (Metn) and reported flooded roads in Dbayeh (Metn), Zouk (Kesrouan), and Tripoli (North Lebanon). Several cars also had to be towed from flooded areas.

Mudflows also occurred on several mountain roads, notably in Ras al-Metn, and the Directorate General of Traffic called on motorists to check road conditions before traveling, in a statement issued Tuesday morning.

Marine currents are also very strong, with a risk of waves reaching 5 meters high along certain parts of the coast, added Abou Fares. A ship carrying fuel for Electricité du Liban is waiting off the Lebanese coast for the weather to calm down so it can unload its cargo at Deir Ammar (North Lebanon). This delivery is replacing a shipment of non-compliant fuel oil — according to the technical plan — turned away by the Energy Ministry at the end of December. In South Lebanon, ships have moved away from the coast, according to our south Lebanon correspondent.

Finally, while the atmospheric depression is expected to begin weakening on Tuesday evening and dissipate by Wednesday morning, temperatures may drop below zero at times in the mountains and in the Bekaa, increasing the risk of black ice, Abou Fares also warned.