China News Service, Zhengzhou, February 21 (Reporter Han Zhangyun) On February 21, widespread rain and snow weather continued in Henan, and the Henan Meteorological Observatory continued to issue an orange warning for heavy snowfall at 12:00 that day. On the Internet, this round of rain and snow in Henan has attracted widespread attention from netizens due to its complicated appearance. In some areas, freezing rain, ice pellets, sleet, and snow have fallen successively, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. What causes such complicated weather? A reporter from China News Network interviewed meteorological experts for interpretation.
On February 20, Zhengzhou, Henan Province ushered in a new round of rain and snow weather. Photo by Han Zhangyun
Early spring ushered in "thunder, snow," multi-phase complex weather and intensive weather
This rainy and snowy weather made many people in Henan hear the first spring thunder of the Year of the Dragon. Since 8 a.m. on the 20th, precipitation and snowfall have occurred in most areas of Henan. Especially at about 11 o'clock that day, thunderstorms occurred in the Huanghuai area of Henan, with thunder roaring.
Taking Zhengzhou as an example, the precipitation started at noon on the 20th. The reporter noticed that the initial precipitation phase in Zhengzhou was freezing rain and ice particles. The dense ice particles hit the glass windows from the air and made a crackling sound. The cold wind carried the ice particles. Howling, thunder bursts in the air, and the rare weather of "thunder and snow" appeared. By 17:00, the urban area of Zhengzhou ushered in dense heavy snow, which quickly turned the ground white. As the temperature continued to drop at night, the ground froze. As of press time, snowfall in Zhengzhou City is still continuing.
Gu Xiujie, chief forecaster of the Henan Provincial Meteorological Observatory, told reporters that the rain and snow weather in Henan this time was more complex and icing more severe than in early February, mainly due to the melting layer with a temperature higher than 0°C near an altitude of 3 kilometers. , and the lower layer is a frozen layer with a temperature below 0°C, so complex precipitation phases such as freezing rain and ice particles appear. At the same time, due to the strong warm and humid air flow in the southwest and abundant water vapor, the snow has a large moisture content and increased viscosity, making road icing more serious.
As for the cause of this thunderstorm, Cui Liman, chief forecaster of the Henan Provincial Meteorological Observatory, said that the current cold air is strong, and there is a relatively strong southwest warm and moist airflow 2 to 3 kilometers above Henan, forming a warm layer, which plays a role in the cold air. Below, it climbed along the cold pad, causing thunderstorms to develop vigorously. Therefore, thunderstorms occurred in most areas of Huanghuai, Henan on the 20th.
Zhengzhou sanitation workers use shovels to break up the thick ice on the ground to remove ice and snow. Photo by Han Zhangyun
The maximum depth of snow is 18 centimeters and the temperature "plunges" to 20°C
According to the monitoring of the meteorological department, from 8:00 on the 20th to 14:00 on the 21st, Henan Province experienced widespread heavy rain and snow. During the day on the 20th, most of the precipitation in the province was dominated by ice particles, freezing rain, and sleet. The night gradually turned to pure snow. The maximum snowfall occurred in Wugang City, with 41.8 mm.
As of 14:00 on the 21st, the snow depth in most parts of Henan Province was more than 4 centimeters, and it was more than 10 centimeters in the north, central and eastern parts, and south. The maximum snow depth was 18 centimeters in Wugang City.
At the same time as the rain and snow, most of the province in Henan was accompanied by strong winds above level 6, with local gusts of level 9 to 10. In addition, there was a sharp drop in temperature, and the temperature staged a "big plunge". Compared with the 19th, the maximum temperature in most parts of Henan Province has dropped by about 20℃; the minimum temperature has dropped by 12℃ to 14℃, with 15℃ to 18℃ in the central and southern parts. Most areas have reached a strong cold wave, and most parts of the province have different temperatures. Roads are icy.
Large snow removal equipment is operating on roads in Zhengzhou urban area. Photo by Han Zhangyun
Various ice and snow removal efforts will be carried out to escort the "second half" of Spring Festival travel
It is currently in the "second half" of the Spring Festival travel period, and Henan is an important transportation hub in the central region. Therefore, snow removal, traffic protection and Spring Festival travel transportation have become the focus of various departments in Henan.
The reporter visited the urban area of Zhengzhou and saw that the combination of rain and snow and the cold wave brought considerable challenges to urban snow removal. Since the ground is already covered with thick ice, workers have to use shovels to break up the ice before they can completely remove the snow on the ground. Snowflakes are still falling from the sky, making outdoor work more difficult. On the main urban roads such as Huayuan Road and Huanghe Road in Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City, large snow removal vehicles such as snow shovels, snow rollers, and spreaders are operating very busy.
Li Hongguang, director of the Environmental Sanitation Management Division of the Zhengzhou Municipal Administration Bureau, told reporters that in order to clear the snow on the roads as soon as possible and ensure the smooth flow of the city's main roads, since the afternoon of February 20, the Zhengzhou Urban Management System has dispatched a total of 43,000 inspection and operation personnel More than 4,280 snow shovels, snow rollers, spreaders and other mechanical equipment were dispatched to clear ice and snow on urban roads 24 hours a day.
Workers at the Luoyang Electrical Section of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. clear snow from the track. Photo by Zhang Peng
Zhengzhou is an important railway transportation hub in the country. In response to this round of rain and snow, China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. launched a first-level emergency response, continued to increase the intensity of snow clearing in station passages and snow and ice removal on lines, and organized more than 10,000 people overnight A number of cadres and workers remove snow and ice, striving to "sweep as you go, and clear the road when snow stops" to minimize the impact of extreme weather on transportation order.
In Nanyang, Henan, the local government issued an initiative for nationwide snow and ice removal voluntary service activities, calling on the city’s party members, cadres, residents, voluntary service organizations and volunteers at all levels, and civilized units at all levels to devote themselves to snow and ice removal operations to improve roads. Do your part for safe and smooth traffic.
According to the latest weather forecast data analysis, it is expected that snowfall will continue in Henan Province from the afternoon of the 21st to the 24th, and the temperature will continue to be low. Before the 24th, the highest temperature in the province remained below 0°C. (over)