Jerusalem’s early winter of 2025 arrives with unpredictable swings that confuse residents, visitors and new arrivals. The city once again proves that there is no such thing as “dressing correctly” when the conditions shift dramatically within hours.
Commuters stepping off bus lines 78, 72 and 75 from the warmer southern side of Jerusalem into the streets of Eliash, Mesilat Yesharim and Agripas toward the city center seem puzzled by the weather. Some carry a folded umbrella after last weekend’s sudden downpour in mid-November 2025, others walk in sandals, teenagers wear warm scarves, and tourists sport wide-brimmed hats. The logic collapses: summer and winter overlap across a single day.
What does a cold Jerusalem morning look like in November?
A mid-November morning in Jerusalem begins with cool air, light blue skies streaked with white clouds, and gentle sunshine. But shade is not an option for anyone dressed lightly, and waiting for the light rail is only pleasant on the sunny side of the platform. A soft breeze stirs the flags above the Binyanei HaUma complex and dries laundry hanging in the neighborhoods of Mazkeret Moshe, Mekor Baruch and Zikhron Tuvia.
At the crowded entrances of Navon Station, a parade of outfits mirrors all four seasons. For a moment it feels as if the weather has slipped out of order, and November has chosen to model the full catalog of meteorology.
Forecasters describe the coming week in Jerusalem as “challenging,” “extremely unstable,” “a short system,” “a shallow trough,” and “brief warming” – all accurate. Temperatures can jump from 9°C to 20°C in a single day, with dry eastern winds and dust replaced suddenly by rainfall signaling December’s approach. The next reliable forecast, they say, will appear at the start of the new month, but even meteorologists admit: “In Jerusalem there are no promises.”
How do residents cope with Jerusalem’s changing weather?
Locals have developed survival techniques. Mornings begin with sweaters, hoodies and light coats. Children arrive at school well bundled, but return home peeling off layers. Sweaters get tied around waists, and bags fill with clothes no longer suitable for the hour. At home begins the recurring debate: shower with solar-heated water? turn on the gas heater? switch to the boiler?
Residents say it is impossible to predict a Jerusalem day without honing a sixth sense. Tourists planning to visit Jerusalem in December 2025 receive one piece of advice: don’t pick a season, expect all of them. And what do meteorologists say about December and the rest of the winter? Some stabilization is possible. Rainfall is expected to remain below average, and temperatures may shift between 7°C on colder days and 17–18°C on the warmer ones.
Will Jerusalem see snow in winter 2025–2026?
Will winter 2025–2026 bring snow to Sacher Park or the Liberty Bell Garden? Too early to know. What can be assumed is that the arrival of the Hebrew month of Kislev and the Hanukkah holiday will bring rains that wash the menorahs hanging in courtyards, clean the streets, rooftops, alleys and sweep away the dust gathered across the city.
Jerusalem’s weather will continue breaking patterns – and telling its own story without committing to a single direction.
