A man has fun with the snow at the Independence Park in Jerusalem, on Feb. 20, 2015. Some parts of Israel were covered with snow early Friday amid a heavy winter storm and extreme weather conditions. Snow piled up to unusual heights of about 25 cm in Jerusalem, according to a statement by the municipality. Highways to Jerusalem were shut down and residents of the city have been asked not to travel unnecessarily. The municipality said 250 snow ploughs have been operating in order to keep the main roads in the city leading to the major hospitals open. (Xinhua/Li Rui)