JERUSALEM -- Blankets of snow brought the Holy City of Jerusalem and other cities across the Middle East grinding to a halt on Wednesday as icy weather conditions gripped the mainly desert region.

Snow blocked roads to the Jordanian capital Amman and schools, universities and banks were shut in the desert kingdom, while freezing winds swept through the Mediterrean island of Cyprus.

Severe storms battered much of Lebanon, with torrential downpours and hailstorms hitting the capital on Wednesday and heavy snow blocking roads in mountainous regions.

Residents, more used to heat than freezing temperatures complained about the cold, but weather forecasters welcomed both snow and rain to replenish almost empty dams and reservoirs.

In Beirut, one security official welcomed the cold snap and rain saying it could at least discourage a repeat of deadly riots that shook the capital last weekend.

In Syria snow fell overnight on the capital Damascus, taking temperatures below seasonal norms, with Syrian television reporting the closure of secondary roads in the south of the country.

The first snowfall of the year covered Jerusalem -- and its famed Dome of the Rock in the heart of the Old City -- with several centimeters (inches) of heavy slush.

The streets of the Holy City were deserted during the normally hectic morning rush hour, with few cars on the roads and isolated pedestrians making their way through the puddles of slush and snow on the sidewalks.

Classes were cancelled and public transport was not operating on a normal schedule.

"It was very difficult to get to work. Cars were sliding on the road," Aid Lezy, a 29-year-old bank worker, told Agence France-Presse as she queued for coffee at one of the few cafes open in central Jerusalem.

"We slipped getting out of the car and walking into the office. There was no one in the streets, it was like (the holiday) Yom Kippur."

Jordan's government declared Wednesday a public holiday because of the freeze.

Amman international airport remained open despite heavy snow since the early morning, according to a Royal Jordanian spokesman.

"We just delayed flights for around an hour to give people enough time to arrive at the airport," Basel Kilani told Agence France-Presse.

Meteorologists expected the cold front that hit Jordan and other regional countries to last at least through Thursday.

Snow covered high-lying areas of western Amman, which is built on seven hills with the highest point at 1,100 meters (3,630 feet), trapping residents at home in many high-altitude areas.

Several centimeters of snow largely paralyzed the capital and officials urged people "to stay home and refrain from driving except for emergencies," the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan is one of the 10 most water impoverished countries in the world, and the country depends on rain and snow to meets its needs.

In the normally sunny tourist island of Cyprus, thick snow fell on the Troodos mountains, but temperatures ranged from five degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit) inland to nine degrees (48 Fahrenheit) on the coast.

The Cyprus Mail told its readers in a frontpage banner headline they were "In the grip of an icy freeze."