A strong cold front has swept across much of western and northern China in recent days, bringing snow, strong winds and sharp drops in temperature, with forecasters warning that additional cold waves are expected before the end of November.
Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, recorded its third major snowfall this month on Tuesday, with temperatures dropping to minus four degrees Celsius, prompting the local meteorological bureau to issue a yellow alert for icy roads.
Heavy snow also hit Manas County in Xinjiang, leaving roads slick and visibility low. Traffic police deployed patrol cars to guide vehicles and urged drivers to slow down.
Parts of the Tianshan mountains in the region's Hejing County were battered by blizzards on Tuesday morning, reducing visibility on a 50-kilometer stretch of G218 national highway to less than 50 meters.
Snow accumulation reached 10 centimeters, prompting emergency measures including two-way traffic controls and rescue operations for stranded vehicles.
In the neighboring Qinghai Province, heavy snowfall recently blanketed Menyuan Hui Autonomous County, where rime transformed the riverbanks of the Haomen River into a striking scene of frost-covered trees extending for dozens of kilometers.
Shanxi Province in north China was hit by strong winds from Monday, with gusts up to 24.4 meters per second in some areas. Temperatures fell to minus 10 degrees Celsius in some places.
Forecasters expected more cold weather and occasional snow in northern highland regions over the next two days.
In Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, drifting ice appeared along a 126-kilometer section of the Yellow River in Bayannur on Tuesday, marking the start of the new ice-flood season. Local water authorities have stepped up 24-hour monitoring and preparations for river freeze control.
Cold front brings snow and wind to parts of western, northern China
