China Meteorological Video Network - On the evening of February 7th, some areas in southern Tibet experienced severe wind and snow weather. Nyalam County, located in the south of Shigatse Prefecture, received a total of 106mm of snow from 02:00 on February 8th to 08:00 on February 9th, setting a new record for snowfall in February for the area. The intensity of the snowstorm could be described as "a blizzard within blizzards!" This morning, the snow depth reached about half a meter, causing adverse effects on local water supply, power supply, and transportation.
According to Weibo user "Mao Rongrong de Da Zui Ba", the harsh weather in Nyalam has led to power and water outages, with cars and houses covered by snow, and "anyone standing outside for two minutes will absolutely turn into a snowman." Not only did Nyalam County suffer from the bad weather; the emergency office of Shigatse informed the reporters of the Tibet Business Daily that starting from the evening of February 7th, heavy snow fell in 11 counties of Shigatse including Jilong, Dinggye, Zhongba, Angren, Saga, and Dingri, accompanied by strong winds, with local snow accumulation reaching up to 50 centimeters. As of now, 30 houses have been damaged in Jilong County, with 11 collapsed.
This severe weather is not just about heavy snow; strong winds and thunderstorms also made their presence felt in Nyalam. At 8 PM last night, another strong blowing snow occurred in Nyalam, reducing visibility to only 200 meters. Liu Weiwei, meteorological analyst at China Meteorological Video Network, believed that the cause of the severe weather in Nyalam is closely related to its unique terrain and weather systems. Nyalam is located on the southern side of the Himalayas, and within Nyalam County stands the world's seventeenth highest peak, Shishapangma, along with eight other mountains over 7000 meters in height. From last night until today, Nyalam has experienced strong southwest or south winds all day, which is very conducive to moisture rising and condensing on the windward slope. The unique geographical location and favorable weather system resulted in the heavy snowfall in Nyalam yesterday.
Today (February 9th), as the weather system affecting Nyalam moves eastward, the snowfall in Nyalam has stopped and it has turned sunny, but the wind remains strong at levels 8-9. Due to yesterday's heavy snowfall, the current snow depth in Nyalam reaches half a meter, combined with the strong winds, making it highly susceptible to blowing snow, which significantly impacts transportation and herding. In the next few days, the wind in Nyalam is expected to decrease.