Yushan (玉山), the nation’s highest peak at 3,952m, saw brief snowfall yesterday morning, as a strong continental cold air mass blanketed Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
The snowfall started at 6:25am, but initially only lasted for two minutes, the bureau said, adding that two further short bouts of snowfall followed until 8:50am.
Temperatures continued to drop yesterday, with nighttime lows of 13°C in northern Taiwan, and 17°C in the central and southern regions, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Yushan National Park Headquarters
Crowds surged to Nantou County’s Wuling (武嶺) on Hehuanshan (合歡山), hoping to catch a glimpse of snow at 3,275m above sea level.
No snow was reported until noon, but a short hailstorm raised the hopes of some optimistic visitors for snow later in the day.
The Directorate-General of Highways said it was not ruling out snow on high-altitude roads from today until early on Tuesday.
Photo: CNA
The agency urged people driving along roads near Hehuanshan and the Central Cross-island Highway to be careful of slippery roads.
It would be closely monitoring road conditions and consult the weather bureau when dispatching patrols, the agency said.
Only vehicles with snow chains would be allowed to drive on icy roads, the agency said, adding that, if necessary, it would close affected sections of road.
Drivers should pay attention to traffic news on the radio, it added.
The CWB forecasts that the cold front would strengthen from tomorrow until early Tuesday, with temperatures as low as 12°C to 13°C in most of northern Taiwan and 10°C to 11°C in some areas.
In southern Taiwan, as well as Hualien and Taitung counties, the bureau said it expected lows of 14°C to 15°C.
The cold front is also carrying moisture, the bureau said, forecasting rain in northern Taiwan, and sporadic showers in central and southern parts of the country.
Snow might fall at above 3,000m above sea level, it said.
Temperatures would start rising on Tuesday, the bureau added.
Additional reporting by Tung Chen-Kuo
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