Snow in Beijing

This week I experienced my first snow day in Beijing. The snowfall was very light but still enough to blanket the city and to create some havoc on the roads. It was actually pretty to see the face of Beijing changing, especially from behind a window. It is still freezing cold outside. The max temp during the day is only -3 degrees Celsius. I admire those many cyclists trying to stay upright despite the slippery roads. It was hard for me to walk without slipping; I can only imagine how they struggle on their bikes. Snow fall is rare in Beijing as the air is very dry and there is rarely enough moisture in the air to have any form of precipitation. When it happens it creates a little bit of magic. A grey and dusty city turns beautifully white. I also loved watching the shop keepers and store owners broom their walkways. I’m used to see people shovel snow not broom it. Everywhere people were out there with these witch-brooms, it reminded me of Harry Potter. I should have taken a picture. Maybe more snow will fall in the coming weeks and I get a second opportunity. It will have to happen soon as I have only two weeks left and I'm traveling all of next week to Hangzhou-Huangshan-Jiangyin-Shanghai.