Snow blankets northern China, closing roads and schools, suspending train service

Overnight snowfall across much of northern China prompted road closures and the suspension of classes and train service yesterday.

A red alert for a blizzard was in effect until mid-morning in Zhengzhou, Henan, and schools were closed there and in two other cities in Henan, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The airport was also closed until 11 a.m.

A total of 134 road sections in 12 provinces, including 95 on highways, were closed as of 7 a.m. because of snowfall and icy conditions, CCTV said. Several trains in two parts of Shanxi province were suspended.

It was the first significant snowfall this year in much of China, outside of mountainous areas and in the northeast near the border with Russia’s Siberia.

A thin layer of snow blanketed rooftops and parked cars in downtown Beijing.