Snow Covers Egypt for First Time in 100 Years

 By 
Beckett Mufson
 on 
Snow Covers Egypt for First Time in 100 Years

Nobody in Cairo was dreaming of a white Christmas, but it looks like they'll get one. The worst snowstorm in more than 50 years hit the Middle East, blanketing Cairo, Jerusalem and areas of Syria in white powder. It was the first time in 100 years that Egypt had seen snow.

Instagram quickly filled with images of snowball fights and landscapes, but in areas like Palestine, some were caught off guard. The United Nations expressed concern for refugees caught in the cold, but many families are ineligible for help because they are not registered with the UN, according to Al Jazeera. Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, was forced to close its doors briefly after snow clogged its main highway.

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Above, we've rounded up photos of the icy storm as seen through Instagram.

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