Regions across China have recently issued snowstorm alerts, an indicator that the coldest days of winter have descended across the country. (Photo/CGTN)
Xiaohan, or "Minor Cold" – the penultimate of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar – falls on Friday, just five days after the New Year.
Though it's called "Minor Cold" in English, according to China's meteorological data, there have only been a few years when the temperature during this period was higher than the following "Major Cold" solar term.