Heavy snowfall hit multiple areas in Shandong on March 2nd, with the snow depth in Zibo City exceeding ankle height. Jinan City successively issued red alerts for road ice and snowstorms, leading to a day off for primary and secondary schools on the 3rd. According to statistics, Jinan saw a precipitation volume of 4.64 billion cubic meters, equivalent to about 387 times the volume of the Great Ming Lake. Snowfall was also reported in Henan, Anhui, Hubei, and other regions.
Reported by the Qilu Evening News on March 3rd, the Jinan Meteorological Observatory stated that the pure snowfall (in millimeters) from midnight to 8 pm on March 2nd was as follows: urban area 29.3, Changqing District 8.7, Jiyang District 19.8, Shanghe County 21.2, Zhangqiu District 26.9, Laiwu District 3.3, Pingyin County 3.2. This level of precipitation in Jinan’s urban area during March is rare in recorded history, with pure snow even more uncommon, breaking records for March snowfall. The total precipitation volume reached 4.64 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 387 Great Ming Lakes.
The Great Ming Lake is one of the three historical scenic spots in Jinan, Shandong Province, formed by the convergence of numerous springs in the city flowing into the Xiaoqing River, covering an area of 57.7 hectares.
On March 2nd, the Zibo Meteorological Observatory upgraded the orange alert for snowstorms to a red alert at 3:46 pm. By the time of the alert, Zhangdian District had received 18.2mm of snowfall, with areas like High-Tech Zone and Economic Development Zone still experiencing ongoing snowfall, expected to weaken gradually during the night.
A gym operator in Zhangdian District, Ms. Li, mentioned that the snowfall on the 2nd started in the morning at 10 o’clock and continued unabated, reaching a depth exceeding ankle height.
Many netizens shared photos of the heavy snow in Zibo, some measuring up to 20 centimeters of snow accumulation on cars.
On March 3rd, several districts in Jinan experienced heavy snowfall, leading to snow accumulation and icy roads, causing frequent traffic accidents. All primary and secondary schools (including private schools) in the city were closed for the day.
Not only in Shandong but also in Henan, snowfall was recorded. The China Meteorological Administration continued to issue a yellow alert for snowstorms, forecasting that from 8:00 on March 3rd to 8:00 on March 4th, some areas in southern Shandong, southeastern Henan, northwestern Anhui, and northwestern Hubei would experience heavy snow. Snow depth would increase by 4-8 centimeters in these areas, with some locations getting over 10 centimeters.
Around 10 am on March 3rd, sporadic snowflakes began falling in certain areas of Fuyang, Anhui, gradually intensifying by noon. Snowflakes covered pedestrians, tricycles, and parked cars along the roadside.
The Anhui Meteorological Observatory forecasted that from daytime on the 3rd to early morning on the 4th, the entire province would have overcast skies with moderate rain in southern regions, turning to light snow north of the Huai River, with some areas experiencing moderate to heavy snow and localized blizzards between northern Jianghuai and the Dabie Mountains.
In the afternoon of March 2nd, Wuhan, Hubei, saw the onset of precipitation, with most areas witnessing moderate rain by 8 am on the 3rd, heavy rain in the southern part of Jiangxia, and locally heavy rain. Due to the southward movement of cold air, a northwesterly wind of 4 to 6 on the Beaufort scale would blow in the afternoon to night, with gusts reaching 7 to 10.
From the night of the 2nd to the morning of the 3rd, heavy snow continued to fall in Shiyan and Xiangyang, Hubei, with some areas already accumulating snow.
On the night of March 2nd, strong convective weather struck multiple locations in Hunan, with several netizens reporting, “It’s hailing, big hailstones.”
On the morning of March 3rd, Changsha experienced a sudden short period of light snow.