Snow pellets fall on Yushan as cold air mass takes hold

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) Snow pellets fell on Taiwan's tallest mountain late Monday night as Taiwan remained in the grips of a continental cold air mass that kept temperatures low, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Tuesday.

The snow pellets fell intermittently Monday night and early Tuesday morning on 3,952-meter Yushan, also known as Jade Mountain, as temperatures hit a low of 9.4 degrees Celsius below zero at 6:11 a.m., but no accumulation of snow was reported.

Among low-lying areas, Yangmei District in Taoyuan recorded the lowest temperature in Taiwan on Tuesday morning at 11.7 degrees, followed by 11.9 degrees in Shimen District in New Taipei, and 13.3 degrees in Wenshan District in Taipei, CWA data showed.

While the cold air mass continued to affect Taiwan on Tuesday, there will be less moisture in the air, resulting in chilly but dry weather, the CWA forecast.

Partly cloudy to sunny skies are expected for most of the island Tuesday with only sporadic showers possible in the east, mountainous areas in central Taiwan, and the Hengchun Peninsula in the south.

According to the CWA, daytime highs are expected to range between 21 and 23 degrees in northern and eastern Taiwan and hit 26-27 degrees in central and southern Taiwan.

Temperature lows in low-lying areas Tuesday night should reach 11-13 degrees in areas north of Chiayi and 15-16 degrees in the south and Hualien and Taitung in the east, the CWA said.

Due to the dry air, temperatures could fall another degree or two in the north early Wednesday morning due to radiation cooling effects, the CWA forecast, referring to the cooling of the ground under clear skies, light winds and dry conditions.

The CWA said the cold air mass is expected to weaken Thursday as a southeasterly wind system approaches, leading to a rebound in temperatures around the island.

Meanwhile, air quality around most of Taiwan was rated "good" to "fair" Tuesday, while the air quality index flashed an "orange" warning in Kaohsiung and Pingtung in the south, indicating unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, according to the Ministry of Environment.