Blizzard warning issued for Beijing amid Winter Olympics

Chinese officials have issued a blizzard warning for Beijing as the city hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics, Reuters reported. 

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) warned Sunday that significant snowfall is expected in the region. 

A blue blizzard warning is the lowest of China’s four-tiered alerts, advising residents to stay at home and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities, according to Reuters.

“It is expected that there will be heavy snow in parts of central and southern Inner Mongolia, northern Shanxi, central and northern Hebei, northern Beijing, southern Tianjin, eastern and southern Liaoning, and Xinjiang along the Tianshan Mountains today,” CMA said in its notice. 

Authorities also said some regions, including parts of northern China, are expected to see 1.6 inches of snow.

The warning comes after the women’s freeski slopestyle qualification was pushed back on Sunday due to the inclement weather notice, Reuters reported. 

This is Beijing’s first snowfall since the Winter Olympics began on Feb. 4, Reuters noted.