Israel has a Mediterranean climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters, as modified locally by altitude and latitude. The climate is determined by Israel's location between the subtropical aridity characteristic of Egypt and the subtropical humidity of the Levant or eastern Mediterranean. Rainfall is unevenly distributed, decreasing sharply as one moves southward.
Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to year, particularly in the Negev Desert.
Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and flooding. During January and February, it may take the form of snow at the higher elevations of the central highlands, including Jerusalem. Israel is located in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea.