Traffic chaos as blizzard hits North China

A bicycle rider makes the way in a snow-covered street in Beijing, Nov. 22, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Key expressways were shut down and flights canceled as a snowstorm hit a vast area of North China on Sunday to disrupt traffic in the region.

The National Meteorological Center released another warning of blizzards on Sunday morning, saying snowfall would affect places in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the provinces of Shanxi, Hebei, Liaoning and Jilin, and the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. In some mountainous areas, snow was estimated to be as deep as 15 centimeters.

Traffic management authorities and police patrolled the highway to rescue victims of possible traffic accidents. Six expressways starting in Beijing and connecting with different parts of the country were temporarily closed, said the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau. In Tianjin, all expressways were shut until the snow stopped.

On Thursday, the National Meteorological Center alerted residents to the approaching snowstorm and sharp decline in temperature. On Saturday, traffic in Beijing was much lighter than the previous weekend as many people stayed in warm homes.

"The pre-warning was good to help alert people to possible problems and dangers," said Sun Jun, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center.

Before the snow, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport had organized a team of 4,100 rescuers in case of accidents. The commission also prepared more than 1,500 machines and 24,000 metric tons of deicing salt and liquid to remove the snow.

Meanwhile, Beijing Capital International Airport alone cancelled about 150 flights by Sunday afternoon, according to an airport statement. More than 20 flights were delayed at Tianjin Binhai International Airport.

The blizzard also gave residents an opportunity to have fun. Thousands of visitors swarmed into the Forbidden City to see how the old palace looked like as the snow capped ancient architecture. Thousands of snow photos were posted on social media to show buildings and parks being capped with heavy snow.

Children were exhilarated to play with the snow after a long wait. "Unlike other cities in North China, Beijing rarely has such heavy snow. This is a good chance for the children to play around. It also reminds me of my childhood when snow fell in the city much more often than nowadays," said Meng Jie, a 31-year-old mother in Beijing.