BEIJING, March 8 — Eleven highways in north China were closed early Monday, as overnight snow became heavier, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Guo Hu, director of the Beijing Meteorological Station, said the urban area of Beijing had received 4.2 millimeters of snow Monday. The snow is expected to stop in the evening.
The station issued an icy road warning early Monday. The city government also sent text messages warning the public of the snow and the cold snap.
A spokesman with the Capital International Airport said 49 flights had been canceled and 28 others delayed because of the snow.
He said snow on three runways had been cleared, but some aircraft had been covered by snow and frost, which caused many of the delays.
The snow came two days after the Chinese solar term of "Jingzhe", which fell Saturday, marking the start of spring.
Guo said spring snow was uncommon, but not abnormal.
He said meteorological records showed Beijing's final snowfall could come between the middle of March and the middle of May.
He said the cold snap would linger till Wednesday, when the daily high temperature would increase from below freezing to 5 degrees Celsius. (PNA/Xinhua) vcs/utb