Cold snap brings snow to N.W. China

A cold snap is affecting north China, bringing sleet and heavy snow to Beijing and its surrounding areas.

The snow in the capital started in the early hours Sunday. Luckily, traffic in the city was barely affected. In the neighboring province of Hebei, only about a centimeter and a half of snow fell. In Shanxi province, snow, rains and dusty weather hit the region Saturday and Sunday. Strong winds also triggered the worst sandstorm in a decade in Hotan Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The cold snap is expected to bring more snow to the north over the next two days and temperatures in some areas could dip by 8 degrees Celsius.

Two women clean up snow in the Lugu residential area in Beijing, capital  of China, March 14, 2010. A sleet hit Beijing Sunday morning.  (Xinhua/He Junchang)