2nd cold air mass to blast Taiwan Friday, snow possible in mountains

周五第二波冷氣團襲台，山區可能降雪

Best opportunity for snow in Taiwan's mountains could be Friday and Saturday

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The second cold air mass of the winter is expected to blast into Taiwan on Friday (Dec. 6), possibly bringing snowfall to mountains of 3,000 meters or higher, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The CWB said that a new continental cold air mass will descend south into Taiwan late on Friday, sending temperatures plunging that night and into the early morning on Saturday (Dec. 7). Lows could dip down to between 12 and 13 degrees Celsius in central Taiwan and all areas north on Friday and Saturday.

At the peak of the first cold air mass on Monday (Dec. 2), Nantou County saw a low of 10.3 degrees, the lowest temperature detected that day by ground weather monitoring stations around the island. As this second cold air mass is believed to be stronger, temperatures could dip even further across Taiwan this time around.

Over the weekend, the cold air mass is expected to bring frigid temperatures throughout Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 8), particularly in northern and northeastern Taiwan. Brief rains will be likely in the northern and eastern parts of the country, while skies will be partly cloudy to sunny in other areas.

In addition to the cold air mass, the effects of a northeast monsoon and northward movement of moisture from the south could increase the probability of precipitation during this period. Over the next few days, mountains with an elevation of over 3,000 meters could see snowfall, with Friday and Saturday the most likely window of opportunity.