It’s pouring outside and we Jerusalemites are praying for a snowy weekend. I know, that’s odd to those of you who spend much of the winter months digging yourselves out from winter snow, scraping your car windshields, hoping that you won’t have the kids home for yet another snow day.

But the benefit of living in a fairly snow-free climate is that when it does snow that once a winter, if once a winter, it’s absolutely magical. The world around us turns quiet, as no one has snow tires or shovels. You hear the sounds of kids playing in the snow, you see your neighbors taking walks, kicking their heels in the white stuff. There are people who drive in from nearby cities and towns, looking to take part in our weather delight. It doesn’t last all that long and it’s usually gone within the course of a day.

I’m really hopeful this time, as I just received a press release from Mayor Nir Barkat’s office that he’s visiting the municipality’s Snow Preparedness Center, including a photo-op this afternoon with him posing next to the city’s emergency equipment-including snow plows and salt trucks. I think there’s just one snow plow, but still, hope springs eternal.

Here are some glimpses of our snowy city that last time it happened, back in 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ISRAEL21cdotcom?feature=mhee#p/search/0/Lz61TnDurRk