Beijing welcomes auspicious snowfall amid heavy pollution over Lunar New Year
The light snow shower – believed to signify a fruitful year ahead – is expected to last until Saturday morning
Beijing's first snowfall this winter came on the auspicious first day of the Lunar New Year on Thursday afternoon, but it failed to fully disperse air pollution.
Beijingers cheered the scattered flurries which were forecast to continue until this morning. The city's meteorological centre issued an alert for icy conditions yesterday afternoon. In traditional Chinese belief, a timely snowfall signifies a fruitful year ahead.
But the light dusting failed to help clear the heavy pollution caused by Wednesday night's massive fireworks display.
Winds were expected tonight, the meteorological centre said, which should help disperse some of the smog. Visibility in some areas yesterday was less than 500 metres as a result of snow, fog and air pollution. Some highways on the city's outskirts were closed, traffic authorities said.
Beijing's air quality deteriorated rapidly as the clock struck midnight on Wednesday, the eve of Lunar New Year, as residents set off fireworks, despite the municipal government's advice to limit the their use due to the "extremely unsuitable" weather conditions.
As a result, the capital's air quality index rose from around 50 to 456 - or severely polluted levels - within a few hours, with average PM2.5 levels hitting 413 micrograms per cubic metre - more than five times the national safe standard - at about 1am.