The temperature dropped to nine degrees below zero as snow blanketed streets, buildings and Olympic venues.
Snow fell on Beijing on Thursday, turning its streets white two weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in China’s capital.
The temperature dropped to nine degrees below zero as snow blanketed streets, buildings and Olympic venues as commuters scrambled to get to work in this megacity of nearly 22 million people.
Intense cold is common in winter in Beijing, but snow is less common as the city is extremely dry.
For this reason, the Beijing Games will depend almost entirely on artificial snow.
Venues use snowmaking systems that monitor temperature and humidity to maximize production.
Fair organizers say the snow machines use renewable energy and will not harm mountain ecosystems, while the used water will return to reservoirs in the spring when the snow melts.
But experts say the reliance on artificial snow calls into question Beijing’s commitment to hosting a “green” Games.
In January 2021, the temperature in the Chinese capital fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years, but with no snow and very little ice.
The thermometers then fell to 19.6º below zero, the lowest level since 1966 when they reached negative 27.4º. (I)
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