NE China still expects snow despite warmer weather anticipated elsewhere

The maximum temperature in most parts of China will gradually rise starting Thursday. However, northeastern China still expects snow, with some regions experiencing heavy snow or blizzard, according to the National Meteorological Centre.

The central part of northern China is expected to see a maximum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius over the weekend. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in many places in southern China is expected to reach or exceed 20 degrees Celsius, the center said.

Starting on Tuesday, many areas in northeast China's Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces have been experiencing a sharp temperature drop of more than 10 degrees Celsius.

In Hegang City, Heilongjiang, the cumulative snowfall from 8 a.m. on Tuesday to 8 a.m. on Wednesday notched up by 49.7 millimeters, breaking the local record for single-day snowfall in November. The city's maximum snow depth has reached 48 centimeters.

Meanwhile, with a snow depth of 45 centimeters, Heihe City has broken the local record for the deepest snow accumulation since its weather observations began in 1959.

Although the snowfall in most areas of Heilongjiang has gradually weakened, widespread snowfall is expected to continue on Thursday. Temperatures across the province are also expected to plummet.

Across the province, traffic police are patrolling the highways and national roads every 30 kilometers in both directions, checking for snow accumulation and icy road conditions.

The State Grid Heilongjiang Electric Power Company has deployed drones to assist with manual inspections, conducting line patrols to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid under extreme weather conditions.

Since the beginning of this week, the entire Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China has been affected by a cold wave, with temperatures dropping.

The minimum temperatures in most areas of the region's central and eastern parts have decreased to around minus 13 degrees Celsius. In some areas, the temperatures have dropped to as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius.

In the Molidawadawoer Autonomous Banner of Hulunbuir, the blizzard has exceeded 10 millimeters. In response, local traffic authorities have launched temporary road control measures. Meanwhile, schools in the banner's villages and townships have suspended classes to ensure the students' safety.

Tuquan County in Xing'an League, a major protected agriculture base in the region, began to experience snowfall on Monday.

Dong Zhi, a local farmer, was clearing snow from the surface of his greenhouse. Before the most recent cold wave, agricultural technicians had been deployed by the county government to his greenhouse to guide disaster mitigation measures.

"Under their guidance, I prepared heating blocks and hot-air furnaces in advance and also added film coverings to the greenhouse," Dong said. "Though it is snowing heavily outside, I feel very secure."

The weather forecast shows that snowfall or even heavy blizzard will hit the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia from Wednesday to Thursday, leading to a temperature decline of 4 to 6 degrees Celsius.