An expansive storm that impacted a large portion of China also struck the country’s capital, forcing the nation’s weather service to issue the first alert of the season for snow.
Published Nov. 8, 2021 12:30 PM EST | Updated Nov. 10, 2021 6:37 AM EST
An expansive storm brought an early taste of winter to parts of northern China this past weekend, and even China's capital of Beijing encountered a range of wintery conditions ranging from picturesque snow to treacherous ice.
A large swath of the country from the Hebei and Liaoning provinces to Inner Mongolia was impacted. Along with wintry precipitation, winds picked up and temperatures plummeted as the potent storm swept through the region.
This storm caused the China Meteorological Administration, China's weather service, to issue the first orange alert of the season for snow. On China's alert scale, the orange alert marks the second-highest level of concern possible.
Beijing, home to more than 21.5 million people, recorded its first accumulating snowfall of the season. The snow's arrival this weekend was just over three weeks, or 23 days, ahead of normal, according to Reuters.
Workers at a restaurant build a snowman in the shape of a pandemic first responder with a protective suit and a mask in Beijing, China, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. An early-season snowstorm has blanketed much of northern China including the capital Beijing, prompting road closures and flight cancellations. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Adverse weather led to the closure of multiple sections of highway and more than 160 bus routes as well as a reduction of flights out of Beijing's two major airports, according to The Washington Post. High-speed trains originating out of Beijing and heading to Tianjin and Shanghai were canceled or delayed.
While some residents struggled to figure out how to travel with snow-covered, slushy or even icy sidewalks and roadways on Sunday, others enjoyed scenes akin to a winter wonderland at popular travel destinations.
The reported snowfall amounts in Beijing were more in the 1-2 inch (3-5 cm) range, especially closer to the heart of the city. Areas closer to the city limits picked up more of a general 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of snow.
Each winter, Beijing records snowfall on an average of six days total, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls. January is typically the city's snowiest month, added Nicholls.
The snowfall around Beijing could be considered a good sign as the city is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to begin on Friday, Feb. 4.
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Impacts from this winterlike storm arrived early on Saturday for northern portions of the country as rain began to change over to snow and temperatures dipped to levels below freezing.
Snow continued to fall through Sunday, with the heaviest arriving late Saturday into Sunday morning. Snow ultimately began to taper to flurries on Sunday, allowing some residents hoping to make the most of a typical weekend to venture out into the snowy scene.
AccuWeather forecasters say the most impressive snowfall amounts from this storm were relegated to locations northeast of Beijing where 10-20 inches (25-50 cm) of snow was reported.
Some of the heaviest snow fell across highly-populated areas of northeastern China. Jinzhou, a city located in the Liaoning province, recorded 11.8 inches (30 cm) of snow over the weekend.
In addition to the snowy scenes, Old Man Winter also ushered in a rush of colder air across the region.
For early to mid-November, high temperatures in Beijing usually top out in the low to middle 50s Fahrenheit (11-14 C). After spending much of Sunday below freezing, the mercury was able to climb to a high of only 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 C).
After a frigid start to the week for much of northern China, temperatures slowly rebounded to levels closer to normal into the middle of the week.
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