A strong cold spell brought rare falls
of snow to hills in northern Lao Cai, Ha Giang and Cao Bang provinces early
yesterday morning, March 16, creating a winter wonderland.

Making snowmen in Viet Nam is a rare event. Snow started falling for the first time in 10 years in Sapa yesterday. Tourists are flocking to enjoy the scene. (Photo: VNS)

In
places the snow was 15cm deep - and it was still falling yesterday afternoon!

Le Minh
Hai, deputy director of Lao Cai’s Hydrometeorology Centre, said it was unusual
for snow to fall at this time of year, which is classed as late spring or early
summer.

“Snowfalls normally occur from December to February,” he said. Lower down the
slopes, the snow was replaced by biting wind and rain.

Viet Nam
News Agency on-the-spot correspondents said the snowflakes stirred excitement
among locals and tourists in Sa Pa town and Dong Van stone plateau, where
covered roofs and trees.

Despite
freezing temperatures, flocks of tourists are heading to the hills to watch the
event, creating congestion on several roads.

A
65-year-old local resident Sung Thi Mai in Ha Giang Province’s Dong Van district
said that although the plateau was 1,600m above sea level, this was the first
time snow had ever fallen.

The last
time snow was recorded in Sa Pa, which is 2,000m above sea level, was in January
2003, but it was only a light fall.

Hai said
as the weather was predicted to warm up in coming days, it was likely that there
would be no more snow.

The
temperature in Ha Noi today may drop to between 9 and 11 degrees Celsius with
highs of 12 to 14 degrees.

Nguyen
Lan Chau, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological
Forecasting, told Viet Nam News that temperatures were expected to rise after
Friday.

This
weekend, Ha Noi expects weather of up to 25 degrees Celsius, followed by a
milder cold spell.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News