Beijing extends heating season amid cold wave, snowfall

A pedestrian with an umbrella walks through a wood in the snow in Haidian District of Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Beijing experienced a sharp temperature drop on Saturday with multiple areas seeing snowfall. In response, municipal authorities decided to extend the heating season by two days, pushing it until Monday.

Zhao Wei, chief forecaster at the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, said a cold front caused rain-snow transitions, with moderate to heavy snow in western and northern mountainous areas and rain turning to sleet or snow in plains from Friday to Saturday.

Zhao added temperatures are expected to range from 6 degrees Celsius during the day to minus 2 degrees Celsius at night on Saturday, about 5 degrees Celsius lower than the levels on Friday.

As of 1 p.m. Saturday, the northern districts of Huairou, Yanqing and Miyun had issued a yellow alert for icy roads, forecasting snow in the daytime and the evening.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for strong winds, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. ■

This photo taken by a mobile phone shows pedestrians taking photos in the snow in Xicheng District of Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Xiao Xiao)

Pedestrians with an umbrella walk near Xuanwumen in Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on March 15, 2025 shows a snow scene in Chaoyang District of Beijing, China. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Photo by Liu Jiaqi/Xinhua)

A pedestrian catches falling snowflakes near Xuanwumen in Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven Park in the snow in Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Snowflakes fall on winter jasmine in Xicheng District of Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

This photo taken by a mobile phone shows tourists visiting China Aviation Museum in the snow in Changping District of Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

People walk in the snow at Civil Aviation Museum in Chaoyang District of Beijing, China, March 15, 2025. It snowed in Beijing along with a significant drop in temperature on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li He)