Blizzard hits Xinjiang in NW China, breaks records, impacts transport

A blizzard has swept through many parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region since Wednesday, disrupting traffic in several areas and setting a new precipitation record in the regional capital, Urumqi.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, 538 weather stations across Xinjiang had recorded rain or snow, with 77 of them experiencing blizzard conditions, according to the regional meteorological observatory. Eleven locations, including Urumqi and the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, were hit by heavy blizzards.

Urumqi recorded 35.6 millimeters of precipitation in a single day, setting the record for the highest daily total in the city in November, the observatory reported.

"The center of this round of heavy snowfall was located in Turgen Township, Ili, where the snowfall reached 40.8 millimeters," noted Chen Chunyan, chief forecaster at the observatory.

The blizzard has disrupted both road and rail transportation across the region. Local authorities reported that parts of major highways, including the G7, G216 and G335, were under either partial or full traffic control as of Thursday morning, with reopening times still unknown.

Railway authorities announced the cancellation of a passenger train between Urumqi and Korla on Thursday due to severe weather.

The observatory has forecast more snow in parts of the region over the coming days, which could affect travel.

(Cover: A blizzard has swept Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, November 6, 2025. /VCG)