The Taklamakan Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region experienced significant snowfall on December 12, 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year this rare phenomenon has occurred.

 

Spanning approximately 1 000 km (620 miles) east to west and about 400 km (250 miles) north to south, the Taklamakan, often referred to as the “Sea of Death,” typically receives minimal annual precipitation, averaging no more than 100 mm (4 inches).

 

The snowfall came as temperatures across northwestern China dropped significantly. On Thursday, Bayingbuluke in Xinjiang recorded a low of -40.7 °C (-41.3 °F), while an Automated Weather Station (AWS) in the region registered an even lower temperature of -44 °C (-47.2 °F), the coldest recorded in China this winter.

 

 

Parts of western China experienced heavy snowfall on December 10, with Urumqi reporting 23 cm (9.1 inches) of snow, and other cities such as Xining and Lanzhou also recording substantial accumulations.

Western China welcomed its heaviest snowfall this winter today, with Urumqi seeing 23 centimeters of snow and snow accumulation in Xining and Lanzhou. pic.twitter.com/qTtey1kBqn

— Jim (@yangyubin1998) December 10, 2024