While many of China's eastern and central regions experienced some heavy snowfalls this winter, Beijing -- in the north -- received only a couple of very light dustings. In fact, it registered little or no precipitation over a period of five months -- which was its longest drought on record. CGTN Rory Coen has more on why China's capital was so dry this winter.

While Beijing has been seeing fewer grey skies over the past couple of years, rain and snow was conspicuous by its absense this winter.

Last Saturday's light sprinkling ended 145 consecutive days without "effective precipitation" or what's defined as "rain or snow of more than one-tenth of a millimeter That's the Chinese capital's longest ever dry spell on record. So what happened this winter?

DR. SHI HONGBO, CLIMATE PREDICTION DIVISION BEIJING MUNICIPAL CLIMATE CENTER "The previous record without effective precipitation registered by the station was 114 days between 1970 and 1971. Although the city has seen plenty of cold air this winter, there has been a lack of moisture in the atmosphere and no conditions for snow to form. And the subtropical high in the West Pacific is in a position that is not conducive for wet warm air from southern China to move northward and meet the cold air."

Beijing's five-month drought is not just bad news for the local vegetation, but it was also a concern for the city's residents.

MRS. LUO BEIJING RESIDENT "Beijing gets hardly any snow or rain. And it's quite windy in the city, so the weather is really dry. It can be quite harmful for children and they get sick quite easily."

MR. MO BEIJING RESIDENT "Sometimes I feel uncomfortable breathing, because the air is not so clean. I feel so happy that it snows today, at least it will make the air much cleaner."

The dry spell finally came to an end on March 17th, just as the year seemed to be turning into Spring. There's a saying in northern China, "it will not be winter if there's no snow" I guess it's a case of "Better late than never"! CGTN Rory Coen.