Photos of Rare Middle East Snowstorm Provide Fresh Look at Region

A rare December snowstorm blanketed a large swath of the Middle East, knocking out power, closing schools and government offices, stranding motorists on major roadways, and providing some remarkable photo opportunities.

Parts of Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey experienced snowfall this week, as did Egypt, where the event was received with awe. The snow was brought on by a stalled area of low pressure, the Weather Channel reported. In Cairo, a desert city that averages less than an inch of rain each year, the winter weather was particularly shocking.

Inadequate shelter in many regions also posed a concern. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that as many as 120,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon are facing the winter storm with only the shelter of flimsy tents.

"For the hundreds of thousands of refugees in Lebanon, as well as those in neighboring countries and the displaced in Syria, a storm like this creates immense additional hardship and suffering," Amin Awad, director of UNHCR's Middle East and North Africa Bureau, said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, the heaviest December snowfall since 1953 blanketed the city Thursday. The Jerusalem Post, citing the Israeli Meteorological Service, reported that December snowfall only occurs in the city once every five to seven years, and that almost all cases of snowfall in the city since 1950 have been light, not exceeding 2 centimeters.

More snow is possible Friday and Saturday in Jerusalem.