Temperatures in northern Taiwan might drop to as low as 10°C tomorrow as a continental cold air mass moves southward toward the nation, while snow might fall on Monday in mountainous areas, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.
The cold air mass, which is forecast to affect Taiwan today and tomorrow, is not expected to bring much rain, although some parts of the country might have sporadic precipitation, the agency said.
The cold front’s effects are forecast to be strongest early tomorrow morning, with lows of 11°C to 13°C in central and northern Taiwan, while other areas could drop to 14°C to 15°C, it said.
Photo: CNA
Roads at elevations above 3,000m might be icy at night and early this morning, the CWA said, adding that snow at such elevations is possible on Monday.
Cool weather is forecast from Tuesday to Thursday before another cold air mass arrives on Friday next week, it said.
However, the intensity of the second front cannot be accurately forecast yet, it added.
Separately, the Forestry Bureau said that the peak season for viewing maple tree foliage in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (阿里山國家風景區) has started and would last until New Year’s Day.
Officials from the bureau’s Chiayi branch said that the cold front forecast for this weekend is expected to help the foliage continue its transformation into a spectacular display of colors.
The best areas to view the trees include the Ogasawara Viewing Platform (小笠原觀景平台), Ciyun Temple (慈雲寺), Zhaoping Station (沼平) and Duigaoyue Station (對高岳), the officials said.
About 50 percent of the foliage visible from the Ogasawara Platform has turned red, while the maples near Zhaoping and Duigaoyue stations are about 40 percent red, they said.
At Ciyun Temple, the green leaves have just begun to change and about 10 percent have red hues, they said.
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