Ice and fire: E. China’s Shandong batters blizzard as Shanghai marks hottest early March in 150 years

A fierce snowstorm swept across East China's Shandong Province on Sunday, painting the landscape in white and prompting authorities to issue two rare red alerts for hazardous road icing and blizzards. Meanwhile, in a striking contrast, Shanghai, which is some 930 kilometers away, basked in an unusual heatwave, with the temperature at the Xujiahui Observatory soaring to 28C, marking the hottest early March day in Shanghai in over 150 years.

According to the Shandong provincial meteorological observatory, as of 2 pm Sunday, snowfall had occurred in 10 cities and 49 counties and districts across the province, with an average snowfall of 2.5 mm, the China National Radio reported on Sunday.

The urban area of Jinan, the capital city of Shandong, recorded the highest snowfall at 17.9 mm, while Yangxin county in Binzhou saw the deepest snow accumulation of 13 cm, said the report.

On Sunday afternoon, Jinan issued two red alerts for road icing and blizzards. Liu Chang, chief forecaster at the Shandong Meteorological Bureau, said that the two red alerts are extremely rare. The snowstorms in Jinan have reached the level of a severe blizzard, marking a historically extreme event for this period, according to Liu.

The heavy snow has disrupted people's daily lives, transportation, and attraction operations in Shandong province.

Jinan authorities announced on Sunday that all primary and secondary schools are urged to suspend classes on Monday, switching to online teaching. Three districts in Zibo also notified that all schools and kindergartens would close on Monday.

According to Shandong Hi-Speed Group, a total of 101 toll stations under its jurisdiction were closed due to blizzards. Affected by the blizzards, trains sections of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line, Jinan-Qingdao high-speed railway line, and other lines experienced varying degrees of delays, per CCTV News.

A number of scenic spots in Shandong have announced that they are also temporarily closed due to the impact of the blizzard. For example, Mount Tai scenic area suspended access to all hiking routes starting from 4 pm Saturday, with reopening times to be announced later, said on its official Wechat account on Saturday afternoon.

On the same day, however, Shanghai featured a completely opposite weather. Shanghai recorded its hottest early March in over 150 years on Saturday, as temperatures in the city center soared to 28 °C, according to meteorological authorities in Shanghai.

At 2 pm on Sunday, the highest temperature at Xujiahui observatory in Shanghai reached 28.5 °C, setting a new record for early March. Some suburban areas, such as Baoshan and Qingpu, recorded temperatures exceeding 29 °C, according to local meteorological authorities.

Residents said it felt like "summer arrived in an instant." The meteorological authorities warned that rain and thunderstorms are likely on Monday, with temperatures expected to plummet by 15 degrees.

The Shanghai Meteorological Service said that warm and humid air currents would persist on Sunday.