Snow slows traffic, grounds flights in capital

More snow is forecast for Beijing on Thursday, as the capital continues to grapple with slowed traffic and grounded flights caused by Wednesday's unexpected snowfall.

"Moderate snowfall is expected in most parts of Beijing on Thursday, and it will continue until Friday morning," said Li Jing, a publicity official from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, warning residents to be cautious on the icy roads.

But the average daily temperature in the capital will not fall before Sunday, according to a weather forecast released by the bureau on Wednesday.

The lowest temperature in the coming days will be -5 C, but the mercury dropped as low as -10 C in the past week.

The snowfall will slow rush hour traffic in the capital, especially if it is compounded by fog.

Authorities issued a fog warning on Wednesday and said in some areas, visibility was reduced to 500 meters.

Wednesday's snow and fog caused delays in 13 bus lines and closed the Beijing section of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, according to the local transport bureau.

The snow had delayed 22 flights at Beijing Capital International Airport as of 6 pm on Wednesday. Three flights were canceled.

According to the airport, more than 400 workers and 40 snowplows helped clear the tarmac for 32 flights on Wednesday.

The Beijing Subway had to cover the entrance and exit of the subway stations with non-slip mats and put up warnings about the slippery floors.

Many people traveling during rush hour on Wednesday said they were annoyed by the snowfall, which ended at about noon.

Xu Ning, a 31-year-old bank clerk in Beijing, said she was late for work on Wednesday, because the traffic moved "at a snail's pace".

"I saw several rear-end collisions on my way to work, a commute that took about 40 minutes longer than usual," Xu said.

Xu said she will go to work earlier on Thursday and Friday to avoid the traffic jams.

Central and East China are also likely to see snowfall until Friday, the National Meteorological Administration said.

From next week, a strong cold snap will pass through the country, bringing moderate to heavy snows and gales. Temperatures are expected to drop by up to 12 C in a large part of North China, the administration said on Wednesday.