Central China Cold Wave Prompts National Emergency Response and Rare Shanghai Snowfall

A potent cold wave is currently traversing central and eastern China, bringing widespread temperature plunges and extensive precipitation across the nation. This system marks the most comprehensive occurrence of rain, snow, and freezing conditions since the start of the 2026 winter season, prompting significant governmental action. In response to the severity, China's national disaster commission initiated a Level IV emergency response, the lowest tier in the country's four-level disaster management framework, to mitigate associated risks.

Shanghai, a major financial hub on China's east coast, registered a rare snowfall event on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. This meteorological anomaly followed a week of unseasonably high temperatures, with local media noting that some osmanthus trees had prematurely bloomed in the preceding days. The city had last observed significant snowfall in January 2018, making the current event a notable deviation from recent norms. Residents noted the significant temperature fluctuations associated with the weather system.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) maintained a yellow alert for the cold wave as it continued its southward sweep through Wednesday. This yellow alert is the third-highest warning level in the NMC's color-coded system. Forecasters had anticipated that average or minimum temperatures across central and eastern regions would decline by 6 to 12 degrees Celsius between Sunday and Wednesday, with localized drops potentially exceeding 16 degrees Celsius in the Yangtze River Delta region.

To manage the widespread disruption, authorities implemented extensive transportation restrictions, closing 241 sections of major roads across 12 provinces due to hazardous icy conditions. Provinces specifically targeted by the national Level IV activation included Anhui, Henan, Hunan, and Guizhou. Local governments in affected areas, such as Hubei and Henan, also independently triggered their own Level-IV responses on Sunday. The response included safeguarding critical infrastructure, maintaining normal production, and protecting agricultural assets. In Henan Province, transport authorities deployed 113 pieces of equipment and consumed nearly 900 tonnes of snow-melting agents.

The event is characterized by complex precipitation patterns, with freezing rain posing a significant risk south of the Qinling-Huaihe line, according to Zhang Tao, chief forecaster at the NMC. The breadth of the impact is extensive, with Gansu Province reporting snowfall and temporary traffic controls on expressways, and Beijing mobilizing sanitation workers after its first snowfall of 2026. Extreme cold reached a winter low of minus 47.4 degrees Celsius in Fuyun County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Sunday. The coordinated national response, including dispatched central government work teams, underscores the scale of this significant weather event.