Heavy snow, cold front disrupt traffic across China, local authorities respond with prompt actions

Heavy snow due to a cold snap swept across many parts of China on Sunday, disturbing traffic and prompting swift actions from local authorities to deal with it.

In northeast China's Liaoning Province, snow began falling in its western regions on Sunday morning, with some areas in Chaoyang City recording snow depths of five centimeters to 10 centimeters.

While local authorities immediately dispatched workers to clear snow in the urban areas, agricultural experts were also dispatched to guide farmers to reinforce greenhouses to mitigate the impact on crops.

The capital city Shenyang also experienced heavy snow, triggering an orange-level alert for snow removal.

Sanitation crews mobilized personnel and equipment to clear roads, while power companies in the cities of Liaoyang and Huludao conducted patrols on critical power lines to prevent ice damage.

The cold front is forecast to persist until January 29.

Due to the cold snap and strong winds, sea travel between Liaoning and east China's Shandong Province has also been disrupted.

Passenger ferries on routes from Liaoning's Dalian City to Shandong's Yantai and Weihai cities were suspended on Sunday, affecting 17 vessels.

Services are expected to gradually resume from January 30.

In north China's Hebei Province, the provincial meteorological bureau issued a yellow warning on strong winds and the cold front on Sunday.

In Guangping County, Handan City, temperatures dropped to minus seven degrees and visibility declined to under 20 meters due to a dense fog.

Traffic police intensified patrols to ensure safe road conditions.

In Feixiang District of Handan City, agricultural authorities dispatched technicians to help farmers reinforce more than 12,133 hectares of greenhouses to protect their vegetables.

In Fengnan District of Tangshan City, timely snow removal operations ensured smooth travel for residents.

Shandong cities, including Dezhou and Rizhao, also saw snow on Sunday.

Expressways in Dezhou were quickly cleared overnight by maintenance crews, who also ramped up patrols to ensure safe travel during the Spring Festival travel rush.

In southwest China's Guizhou Province, icy conditions caused by snow and freezing rain disrupted travel on multiple expressways in Bijie City.

Sections of the highways in Weining County were significantly impacted by snow and ice on Sunday.

Local highway patrols imposed temporary traffic controls, increased road inspections, and collaborated with emergency teams for de-icing operations.

So far, all expressways in Bijie have reopened to the traffic.

Heavy snow, cold front disrupt traffic across China, local authorities respond with prompt actions

China closed 2025 with a record of 92 space launches and major breakthroughs were made in manned space launches, deep space exploration and commercial launches, according to the China National Space Administration.

"In 2025, we created a new launch record, sending more than 300 satellites into planned orbits. Both the number of launches and the number of payloads placed in orbit have achieved qualitative leapfrog development," said Zhu Haiyang, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest single mission duration in the history of China's manned space program. Following the Shenzhou-20, the Shenzhou-21 achieved the fastest rendezvous and docking in the history of the Shenzhou mission in just three hours and a half.

Facing an unexpected technical situation with the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, China immediately activated emergency plans. Within 16 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a "textbook model" for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies.

In deep space exploration, the Tianwen-2 probe embarked on its journey for China's first asteroid exploration and sample-return mission in 2025.

Last year also saw intensive launch activities from multiple commercial rocket types, injecting strong momentum into the country's commercial space development.

As China has kicked off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), a new blueprint for the country's space program is unfolding. Multiple tests are planned in preparation for future lunar exploration, as Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched for the lunar south pole to search for evidence of water ice. The industry is also preparing for the maiden flights of several new rocket types, which will include the challenges to test rocket recovery and reusability technologies.

China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches