The first cold wave of the Year of the Dragon is already on its way! A new round of widespread rain, snow, and freezing weather is expected to arrive after the Spring Festival. A new and strong cold air mass is currently affecting China, bringing about drastic yet short-lived temperature drops. Following this, a powerful warm-up is set to sweep across the central and eastern regions, pushing temperatures back up! The first cold wave of the Year of the Dragon is poised to hit on the 17th and will affect China. After the Spring Festival, the prevailing above-average temperatures across most parts of the country will be completely reversed, with another round of widespread rain, snow, and freezing weather expected! On the 15th, due to the influence of cold air combined with rain, temperatures in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will generally drop by 4 to 8°C, with some areas seeing a decrease of 10 to 12°C. This cold air will briefly bring the currently high temperatures back to near-normal levels. Starting on the 16th, warm air will quickly surge back, with temperatures in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River expected to rise by 8 to 10°C, and in some areas by over 12°C! Around the 19th, the maximum temperatures in many areas of Jiangnan and South China may reach around 30°C, approaching or breaking historical records for this time of year! Cold wave after the holiday! Brace for another round of widespread rain, snow, and freezing conditions Although this cold air will also bring rain and snow, the process will be short-lived, with minimal impact on the return journey during the Spring Festival holiday. Starting on the 17th, the first cold wave of the Year of the Dragon will completely reverse the warm pattern, with localized cumulative temperature drops possibly exceeding 20°C. By late February, temperatures in the south are expected to significantly drop, with the freezing line possibly extending directly to the along the Yangtze River! Specifically: According to the Central Meteorological Observatory’s mid-term forecast from the 17th to the 21st, a cold wave will affect most parts of the country from west to east and from north to south, with temperatures dropping by 6-10°C, and in some areas by 12-16°C, and locally over 18°C. From the 18th to the 22nd, rain will turn into sleet or snow in northeastern China, the eastern part of northwestern China, North China, Huanghuai, Jianghuai, Jianghan, etc. There will be heavy to blizzard snow in Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, and the northwestern part of Hubei, with small to moderate rain and locally heavy to severe rain in areas south of the Yangtze River; there will be freezing rain in some areas of Hunan and Guizhou. This cold wave will not only bring about drastic temperature drops but will also bring about another round of widespread rain, snow, and freezing weather. It is recommended that everyone continue to pay attention to the adverse effects of this round of rain, snow, and freezing weather on transportation and travel.