Rare Snowfall Seen in Yilan County as Cold Front Sweeps Taiwan

While Taiwan is a country that experiences seasonal changes, snowfall isn’t often associated with typical Taiwanese weather. However, on some days when the weather gets extremely cold, certain high-altitude locations on the island do experience rare snowfall! 

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Thursday 7 January 2021 was one such day as Taipingshan in Yilan County experienced its first snowfall! According to park manager Huang Hsin-wei, it started snowing around 6.40 pm. The snowfall turned the national forest recreation area into a whimsical winter wonderland, pleasantly surprising visitors at the park. This was later confirmed by the Luodong Forest District Office.

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According to WeatherRisk director Chia Hsin-hsing, the snowfall was most likely due to the current cold spell affecting northern Taiwan. Combined with the heavy moisture of Taiwanese winters, Chia believes that several mountainous regions in the area could well experience similar snowfall within the next few days! These areas include Hehuanshan, Xueshan, Nanhushan, Taipingshan and Lalashan. 

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It’s worth noting that, even though snowfall in general is uncommon in Taiwan, it is not the first time that the island’s mountains have been blanketed in snow. However, thanks to the frosty winter this time around, several counties and cities may also be treated to a rare sight of snowfall! 

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This comes as a model, based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, predicted that New Taipei City and Hsinchu could record subzero temperatures towards the end of the week. Taoyuan City,  Miaoli, Yilan, Taichung, and Hualien were the other cities and counties that have been put on alert for possible snowfall. As such, Chia advised those living in the above areas to make necessary preparations.

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It looks like winter has truly come in Taiwan! While experiencing snowfall is always a magical experience, if you’re currently in Taiwan, make sure to layer up when going out!