Snow fell on Yushan (玉山, Jade Mountain), Taiwan’s highest peak, early this morning as chilly weather persisted around Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
Although the snowfall has stopped, rime ice remains visible in the Yushan area, the agency said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration via CNA
Temperatures on Yushan dropped to minus-2.1°C overnight, and in low-lying areas on the island of Taiwan they fell to as low as 13.5°C in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) and 13.6°C in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅), CWA data showed.
The CWA said chilly conditions would persist today, with lows of 14°C to 16°C in northern Taiwan and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere.
Daytime highs are expected to reach 19°C to 21°C in the northern half of Taiwan and 23°C to 24°C in the south.
The lower temperatures could be accompanied by sporadic showers across the main island, the CWA said.
If temperatures and moisture levels permit, mountains higher than 3,500m could see snowfall or other forms of frozen precipitation, it said.
Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said temperatures are expected to rebound briefly tomorrow, while rain would become confined to central, southern and eastern Taiwan, citing the latest forecast models.
As northeasterly winds strengthen on Friday, they are to bring another drop in temperatures and localized showers to northern and eastern Taiwan, Wu said.
Conditions would remain cool on Saturday before gradually warming on Sunday, he said, adding that northern Taiwan would turn cloudy over the weekend while the south sees sunnier skies.
Starting on Monday, parts of eastern Taiwan could experience localized rain again, with wet conditions extending northward on Tuesday as temperatures begin to fall, he said.