Northeast China's Heilongjiang sees first major blizzard

Heavy snow blanketed Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Monday, with an average wind speed of 4 to 6 meters/second. The streets were covered with snow, and residents wore down jackets and cotton shoes. 　

From 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Harbin dispatched more than 33,000 workers to carry out snow- and ice-clearing operations. 　

Due to icy roads, as of 3 p.m. on Monday, 15 highways in Heilongjiang Province were closed. The work on snow clearing was in progress. 　

The Harbin airport and railway departments also cleared the snow and ice in time and　ensured smooth travel for residents. 　

The local education bureau announced that primary and secondary schools in the main urban area of Harbin continued to stop classes on Tuesday.