Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) yesterday morning recorded snowfall of up to 6cm, the most so far this winter, with snow also seen on several other high mountains in northern and central Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
Frigid temperatures and ample moisture brought by a cold air mass and a wet weather system from southern China prompted snowfall on Hehuanshan at an elevation of 3,422m on the borders of Nantou and Hualien counties.
The snow started at about 1am and lasted until 7am, the bureau said.
Photo: CNA
In addition, up to 5cm of accumulated snowfall was recorded at Lodge 369 in Shei-Pa National Park between 1am and 7am.
Yushan (玉山), the nation’s highest peak, had brief snowfall from 3:15am to 3:50am before it started again at 5:20am.
At 9:30am, about 2cm of accumulated snow was recorded on the 3,952m mountain, the bureau said.
The lowest temperature on Yushan, minus-2.8°C, was recorded at its north peak, CWB data showed.
A cold front is to affect Taiwan until today, with wet and cold weather forecast for this morning, the bureau said.
The weather on the outlying islands was yesterday to remain cold, with Lienchiang County’s Dongyin (東引) to experience temperatures as low as 7°C, while Wuciou Township (烏坵) in Kinmen County expected temperatures of 9.3°C.
As the continental cold air mass continues to linger today, temperatures are expected to fall below 10°C in parts of Hsinchu City, Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Taoyuan, as well as Hsinchu, Kinmen and Miaoli counties, CWB forecaster Lin Ting-i (林定宜) said.
Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Yilan County could see rainfall, while heavy rain was forecast for mountainous areas in Taipei and New Taipei City, Lin said.
There is still a chance of snow on mountains at elevations higher than 3,000m, Lin said.
The cold weather would ease slightly tomorrow, before a cold air mass gains momentum on Thursday afternoon to lower temperatures in northern Taiwan.
The next cold air mass is expected to affect Taiwan until Sunday, with temperatures likely to drop to as low as 14°C or 15°C from late Dec. 31 and early Jan. 1, Lin said.
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