Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel. Its snow-capped peak is 2284 meters above sea level. The upper ski lift at the ski resort reaches 2100 meters above sea level. The lower ski lift reaches 1600 meters above sea level. Mount Hermon has a temperate climate. Winters are snowy and quite cold and summers are relatively mild. Precipitation ranges from 1200mm-1500mm annually. Most of the precipitation falls as snow. The ski season usually begins in December and runs through February.

In recent years, because of global warming, temperatures have risen here as well and snowfall has decreased dramatically. Whereas, over the past 30 years, a normal winter would have 45 ski days, the ski seasons in recent years have been only 10-12 days or lower. Average daily highs in the winter (December to February) reach a mere 3°C. At night, temperatures fall to about -5°. Snowstorms are not unusual and occur on Mount Hermon several times a year. (Snow is also not rare in the nearby northern Golan Heights.) When it begins to snow at the ski resort, the gate by Majdal Shams is closed and traffic is halted. The Israeli Army clears the snow with plows and salt. The snow is usually very dense, and builds up quickly on the ground. Winds reach 100 kilometers per hour or more. The largest snow cover was experienced in the winter of 1991-92. In that winter, the snow cover was 13 meters! Keep in mind that the ski resort opens the slopes when the snow cover is 40cm!

The snow on Mount Hermon melts gradually towards the end of the winter and the start of spring. Large quantities of snowmelt flow into the Dan and Banias Rivers and from there to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

The intensity of the sun's rays on the Hermon presents the danger of developing skin cancer to residents and visitors. The elevation makes the sun's rays more intense and, in the winter, the reflection of the sun's rays off the snow exacerbates the danger. The effect of reflected sunlight is at least as dangerous as the effect of lying on the beach for a long time in the summer. Both skiers and non-skiers alike are strongly advised to use sunscreen. The intensity of the reflected rays is greatest between 11:00 and 14:00.

Fog is another characteristic of the weather on Mount Hermon. In the winter, the mountain is covered by dense fog almost every day. In the summer, the fog develops overnight as temperatures fall to about 15°C.

Daytime highs in the summer are generally mild, about 25°C. It was once rare for the daytime high to reach 30°C but, in recent years it is no longer rare, although it can not yet be called common.

Tourism in the Hermon is based primarily on skiing but many hikers enjoy the Hermon in the summer. Many people come to the water sources in the northern Golan Heights and enjoy the flora and fauna of the Hermon. The ski resort is open in the summer for organized hikes. The hikes begin every day at 11:00 and at 13:00. For prices and other information call 04-698 1337.