(Source: hi.baidu.com)

Minor Cold comes in the first half of January, the first half of the last month in the lunar calendar of China. It is a solar term to reflect the change in temperature, and the “minor” means that though it is cold during this period, it is not yet the coldest period of winter. It is the 23rd solar term. During Minor Cold, the sun reaches 285 degrees of longitude. The ground receives less heat than what it receives, and the coldest weather appears.

In China, most areas have now entered the bitter cold winter. The ground and rivers are frozen. The cold air from the north moves southward continuously. The average temperature in Beijing is about -5℃, and the minimum temperature is -15℃. In the northeast areas of China, the average temperature is -30℃, and the minimum temperature is as low as -50℃. The highest average temperature in the afternoon is no more than -20℃, which makes these areas a world of ice. The average temperature of Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, the north of Xinjiang and the northern Tibetan plateau is about -20℃. Meanwhile, in the areas around the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River it is about 0℃. There is no frozen ground or winter period for crops to the south of the line. The average temperature is about 5℃ in regions south of the Yangtze River. The cold air from the north, however, may cause damage there sometimes.

Source: weather.com.cn

Translated by Zhang Min

Editor: Wen Yi & Zhang Min