Winter in Heilongjiang is like a fairyland. Let's get to know some common winter landscapes there.

Snow rime and soft rime are two common natural phenomena in the winter of Heilongjiang.

Snow rime

Snow rime is generally white. In a snowy weather, air humidity is increased. When water vapor in the air meets with a strong cold air current, a string of ice crystals form on the tree. Under the action of winds, snowflakes fall on the tree to envelope the ice crystals thereon, hence a spectacle of the renowned snow rime.

Snow rime Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

Snow rime Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

Soft rime

(Soft) rime, which is usually translucent ice crystal, mostly occurs in the alternation of autumn and winter, and of winter and spring, as well as in the middle of winter. When super-cooled water fog (temperature below 0℃) hits objects that are also below freezing temperature, rime forms.

Soft rime Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

Soft rime Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

Snow tongue

The snow tongue found in the so-called China Snow Town (CST) is also one of the well-known sights of Heilongjiang in winter, world-renowned, so to speak. The phenomenon refers to the accumulated snow hanging down from the eaves, neither breaking nor falling without external support.

CST in Heilongjiang Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

CST is situated in the town of Changting, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, where the snow is plentiful, of good quality, and highly viscous.

What conditions are favorable for the formation of a snow tongue?

Firstly, there must be abundant snowfall to form a snow tongue. This region is featured by a low and flat terrain and surrounded by hills and mountains. What's more, it is here that the warm and humid air from the Sea of Japan and the cold front from Siberia converge.

It is these conditions that contribute to ample snowfall, allowing for a snow cover of as deep as 2.4m in a high season.

Secondly, a unique building structure. Houses here are generally structured with protruding eaves. When there is a lot of snowfall, the snow that falls behind squeezes the snow that previously covers the eaves and press it into the shape of a snow tongue.

Last but not least, the fact that the “snow tongue” does not fall off after it forms is associated with the shape of the snowflake.

Snow tongue Credits to Heilongjiang Provincial Meteorological Service

In this region, the snowflakes take the form of hexagonal star, which is conducive to their mutual embedding and compact arrangement to stabilize the “snow tongue” structure.

Editor: LIU Shuqiao