Winter in Jerusalem: Heating, Rain, Snow and Keeping an Apartment Warm
Jerusalem is a hill city with stone apartments and no central heating, and December surprises everyone who moved from a warm-house country. Here is how to heat, dry and survive it, starting in October.
Jerusalem sits at around 800 metres, and its winter is real: cold rain from November to March, wind that finds every window, a few nights around freezing most years, and snow every few winters that closes the city for a day. Inside is the problem. Apartments are stone and tile, built for summer, with single-glazed windows and no central heating, and a newcomer who waits for the building to warm up waits until April. The fix is to prepare in October, heat rooms rather than apartments, and manage the damp.
How apartments are heated
- Air conditioners in heat mode are the standard: quick, cheap to buy, expensive to run all day, and they dry the air. Most apartments have one per living room and often one per bedroom; if yours lacks them, a wall unit is the landlord conversation to have in September.
- Gas heaters on balloon or bulk gas heat a room fast and cheaply; ventilate, never sleep with one on, and keep children away from the front.
- Radiators and underfloor heating exist in newer and renovated buildings; if you have them, learn the timer.
- Electric oil radiators and fan heaters fill the gaps, on separate circuits; Israeli apartments trip the breaker when the kettle, the boiler and two heaters run together.
- Central building heating (hasaka merkazit) survives in some older Rehavia and Talbiya buildings, run by the va'ad bayit on fixed hours.
Hot water in winter
The solar heater on the roof (dud shemesh) gives free hot water most of the year and almost none in a week of rain; the electric backup switch (usually a timer on the wall or a switch by the fuse box) heats the tank in about half an hour and costs real money if left on. Learn where it is in the first week and set the timer for the shower hour. A dripping dud in December is a call to the landlord, not a surprise.
Damp and mould
Cold stone walls, closed windows and drying laundry indoors produce mould on north-facing walls and behind wardrobes by January. Open the windows for ten minutes a day even when it is cold, run the air conditioner's dry mode, use a dehumidifier in the worst room, dry laundry on the balcony under cover or on a rack by a heater, and wipe the first black spots with bleach before they spread. Mould that returns is the landlord's problem to fix at source.
What to buy in October
- Thick curtains or a heavy blanket over the worst window; window film or foam strips for the gaps.
- Rugs for the tile floors; slippers for everyone.
- A dehumidifier, a clothes rack, a good umbrella and proper shoes; Jerusalem's stone pavements are ice when wet.
- A duvet rated for real winter; the summer sheet will not do.
- A gas balloon in reserve if you heat with gas, and a supplier's number.
Snow days
When snow is forecast the city announces it days ahead, the municipality salts the main roads and closes the rest, schools close, the light rail may stop, and the shuk empties on the day before. Stock up, charge everything, expect a power flicker, and enjoy it: Jerusalem in snow is worth the disruption, and Sacher Park fills with sledges. Check the Shabbat page if the snow falls on a Friday; candle lighting does not move for weather.
The cost
Heating is the difference between the summer and winter electricity bills, and a family heating two rooms by air conditioner through the evening can see the bi-monthly bill double. Gas is cheaper per hour of warmth. The bills guide explains supplier switching and the tariff; the cost-of-living guide puts it in the budget.
Hebrew you will meet
- choref — winter
- geshem — rain
- sheleg — snow
- chimum — heating
- mazgan — air conditioner (also the heater)
- dud shemesh — solar water heater
- tanur gaz — gas heater
- lachut — damp
More everyday words are in our Hebrew vocabulary guide.
Common questions
How cold does Jerusalem get in winter?
Daytime highs in the low teens Celsius and nights near freezing in the coldest weeks, with cold rain and wind from November to March; snow that settles comes every few winters.
Do apartments in Jerusalem have heating?
Rarely central heating. Most heat with air conditioners in heat mode, gas heaters or portable radiators, room by room; some newer buildings have radiators or underfloor heating.
Why is there no hot water in winter?
The solar heater has had no sun. Switch on the electric backup (the dud switch or timer) about half an hour before the shower and off afterwards.
How do I stop mould in a Jerusalem apartment?
Ventilate daily, dry laundry outside or by a heater, use a dehumidifier in the worst room, keep furniture off cold outer walls, and treat the first spots with bleach.
A trick we missed? Tell us and we will fix it.
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