While the Midwest is getting hammered, the Mideast also got hit by a surprising storm of its own.

Eight inches of snow blanketed Jerusalem early this morning.

Children used the rare "snow day" as an opportunity to throw snowballs across the streets.

Many residents see it as a welcome change from the normally-warm Middle Eastern weather, even though the city is not equipped to deal with heavy snow.

Snow typically falls in Jerusalem once or twice a year, but the temperatures rarely drop low enough for it to stick.