BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- It snowed in some mountainous areas of suburban Beijing Tuesday morning, Beijing meteorological authorities said.
Zhou Huanyu, who works for the Government of Qingshui Township, Mentougou District, said that Lingshan Mountain, the highest mountain (2,300-plus meters) in Beijing, received snowfall starting at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
Temperatures in the area dropped to 3 degrees Celsius at noon, while snow covered the grass and forests on the mountain.
Meanwhile, mountains in Yanqing District and Fangshan District also saw snow early Tuesday morning. An automatic meteorological observation station in Xiaohaituo Mountain, where the 2022 Winter Olympics will be held, indicated the depth of snow reached six centimeters.
The Meteorological Observatory of Beijing said this did not qualify as Beijing's first snowfall for the season, since precipitation failed to meet official standards, which require the snow to reach urban areas of the capital, not just highlands.
Beijing has endured heavy rainfall and a drop in temperature since Monday morning. The observatory said the rain would stop Tuesday afternoon.
Some areas in northern Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have also seen snow since Monday.
