Snow falls in mountains across Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) Some mountainous areas in the northern half of Taiwan were dusted with snow Tuesday morning after a cold front hit the island a day earlier, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

Snow began to fall on Taiwan's highest mountain, the 3,952-meter Yushan (Jade Mountain) in Nantou County, late Monday night, and 4 centimeters had accumulated there as of 9 a.m. Tuesday.

It also snowed lightly Tuesday morning on Taipingshan in Yilan County, in Indigenous mountainous areas in Taoyuan and Hsinchu County, on Hehuanshan about 90 kilometers northeast of Yushan in Nantou County, and on Siaosyueshan and Tianchih in the Dasyueshan Forest Recreation Area in Taichung.

On Yangmingshan in Taipei, rain mixed with snow was seen early Tuesday morning, which then became rain mixed with hail, resulting in a light covering of about 1 centimeter of snow.

Residents of Beigan, one of the two main Matsu Islands located just off the coast of northern Fujian province in China, saw the rare sight of falling graupel (soft hail) at Bishan, its highest peak of 298 meters, on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Those eager to head to the mountains to get a glimpse of the snow should be aware of icy roads and possible traffic controls, local government officials cautioned.

Snow chains may be required to enter some areas, and vehicles may be prohibited in others, where visitors can only enter on foot, they warned.