Beijing receives 2012 first snow, flights delayed

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2011 shows a snow view in Beijing, capital of China. A snowfall hit Beijing Saturday morning. (Xinhua Photo)

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2011 shows a snow view in Beijing, capital of China. A snowfall hit Beijing Saturday morning. (Xinhua Photo)

Photo taken on Jan. 7, 2011 shows a snow view in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua Photo)

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The first snow for 2012 falling down in China's capital late Friday night continued into Saturday morning, with roads slippery and some flights delayed.

By early Saturday morning, light snow has brought about more scraping traffic accidents in Beijing. But the traffic remained normal in all major highways as the snowfall was not heavy, said local traffic control authorities.

As of 9 a.m., ten flights have been delayed in the Beijing Capital International Airport.

The snow fell down in Beijing on Friday on the Slight Cold, the 23rd solar term according to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, ushering in the coldest period in China.

From 9 a.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, the maximum temperature in Beijing was minus 2 degrees Celsius, according to statistics released by the municipal meteorological bureau.

The light snow is expected to continue in daytime Saturday. And the municipal meteorological bureau has issued a yellow alert of iced road, the lowest level in the country's three-scale ice alert system.