On April 28th, heavy snow unexpectedly blanketed Duolun County in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia and Saihanba in Chengde, Hebei. Schools in Duolun County were closed for the day due to the extreme weather. Local residents expressed astonishment at the rare occurrence of such heavy snowfall at this time of the year. A netizen remarked, “This year is extraordinary – floods in Guangdong and heavy snow in Chengde.”
According to China Weather Network on the 28th, Duolun County, Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia experienced snowfall. Videos circulating online showed thick layers of snow covering the roads in Duolun County, causing traffic congestion with many vehicles unable to move, prompting some individuals to shovel the snow with iron shovels.
Ms. Ding, a resident of Duolun County, shared with “Focus News” that when she woke up on the 28th, she found over ten centimeters of snow outside. When she drove her child to school around 7 o’clock in the morning, many vehicles were stuck due to the snow, causing a traffic jam lasting over forty minutes. She mentioned receiving a notification from the school midway that classes were canceled for the day.
Ms. Ding noted that while experiencing a lingering chill in this season is not uncommon, such heavy snowfall as seen this time was indeed unusual. Both the County Government Office and the Education Bureau of Duolun County confirmed that all primary and secondary schools were temporarily closed for the day due to the snowfall.
The Xilin Gol League Meteorological Bureau forecasted on the morning of the 28th that from 8:00 a.m. on the 28th to 8:00 a.m. on the 29th, the region would experience cloudy to clear skies, with Duolun County, Zhengxiang Bai banner, Taibusi banner, Zhenglan banner expecting moderate rain or sleet. Xilinhot, Xiwuzhumuqin banner, Abag banner, Sunite Left banner, Erenhot, Sunite Right banner, and Xianghuang banner would see light rain changing to sleet with level 4 easterly winds.
Besides Inner Mongolia, Hebei’s Chengde also witnessed heavy snowfall on the same day.
According to the CCTV, snowfall began at the Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm in the northernmost part of Chengde from 9:30 p.m. on the 27th and continued into the morning of the 28th. As per the data from the Saihanba weather station, by 11:00 a.m. on the 28th, the snow depth had reached 32 centimeters. The local temperature plummeted to -5°C.
Netizens commented, expressing their disbelief and sympathy for the affected regions. One said, “So many disasters and hardships.” Another noted, “This year is truly extraordinary – floods in Guangdong, heavy snow in Chengde.” A third person lamented, “Plants and flowers have just started to bloom, and now they may freeze to death.”
The ripple effect of the extreme weather conditions was felt beyond the immediate areas. Netizens remarked, “It’s 30 degrees in Xingtai, Hebei. Chengde in Hebei experiencing heavy snow – is this still within the same province?” Another person expressed surprise at the proximity of Shandong to Hebei, saying, “We are wearing short sleeves here, while Hebei is experiencing snow.” Further comments reflected on the unseasonal nature of the weather: “It’s April, why is it still snowing? Even in Northeast China (Liaoning), we don’t have any snow.”
The unusual weather phenomena led to more astonished comments from netizens. “The sudden heavy snow in Chengde in late April 2024 – a once-in-thousands-of-years occurrence!” One user exclaimed, “Goodness, this is unbelievable!” Another remarked, “This is incredibly abnormal!”
With conflicting weather patterns across regions like Guangdong facing hailstorms and typhoons, while Hebei experiences snow in April, netizens were left questioning the extremity of the weather conditions, pondering the underlying mysteries of nature.