People visit the snow-covered Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 18, 2009. The first snow hitting Beijing this year continued Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Min) Photo Gallery>>>

 

    SHIJIAZHUANG, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- All outbound highways were closed Thursday in Hebei, a northern province surrounding Beijing, after heavy snow fell overnight.

    The provincial highway traffic police center said that all highways passing through Hebei en route to Beijing had to be closed due to icing.

    Hebei got its first heavy snow of the year starting Wednesday. The provincial weather bureau said the snow, generated when a cold front hit moist air flows, was enhanced by artificial seeding.

    "The snow has brought moisture to the soil, which may help end the drought," said Guo Yingchun, senior engineer of the provincial meteorological observatory.

    She said that 313 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide were seeded into clouds from Wednesday night to 8 a.m. Thursday, a procedure that made the snow a lot heavier.

    Hebei forecasters said flurries would continue through Thursday night in the northern part of the province.

    Twelve highways, including one linking Beijing and Shenyang, capital of northeast Liaoning Province, were closed by snow as of Thursday morning, according to the provincial transport department.

    The Shenyang observatory forecast more heavy snow later Thursday.

Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2009 shows the snow-covered Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. The first snowfall hitting Beijing this year continued Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Min) Photo Gallery>>>