While the U.S is witnessing polar freeze and record snowfall, people in China await enough winter snow. Weather in China turns snowy from November to January but this year during peak season, China has received less than two feet of snow.
The only time China received heavy rainfall was in the month of November and since then it has been mostly dry. And the forecast is looking grim according to China's National Weather Service as no wet weather is expected over the next several days.
Little snowfall and dry winter in China this year has disappointed skiers who eagerly await snow for winter games. Snowboarders in dry Sierra are now relying on artificial machine-made snow. “It is definitely still fun but it's not the same feel. Real snow is so much softer”, said skier and enthusiast Leyva. Moreover, the 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China is being celebrated amid little snow this year.
In Yosemite, Badger Pass Ski Area opened its Nordic Center on Dec 20th for snowshoeing and skiing but closed it a week later due to lack of enough snow. “It's extremely unusual for January. We had enough snow coverage earlier, but the snow melted and so we closed the ski area. It's definitely been a dry winter for us," says spokesperson Lisa Cesaro.
Keeping in mind the unusual weather in China as well as worrying weather changes in the world in the last few years, China had published a comprehensive study in December to look at what pitfalls might await China due to global warming and how it can work around those challenges in the future years.
Climate change has already costed China more than $32.9 billion since 1990, while about 2,000 citizens have died from extreme weather-related disasters.
Photo by firedwok.
