China is bracing for its most intense cold spell of the winter from Thursday to Monday, with temperatures expected to plummet by as much as 20 C in some areas, the meteorological administration said.

据气象部门预计，1月23日至27日，中国将迎来今冬最强寒潮，部分地区降温幅度可达20℃。

The cold wave will move from west to east, starting in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Thursday before sweeping through northwestern regions on Friday. It is expected to hit central and eastern areas over the weekend and reach northeastern and southern parts of the country by Monday.

寒潮将从西向东移动，1月23日开始影响新疆维吾尔自治区，1月24日席卷西北地区。预计本周末将影响中东部地区，并于1月27日抵达东北和南部地区。

Temperatures in most areas will drop by 8 to 12 C, with some regions, including Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, seeing decreases of up to 20 C.

大部分地区气温将下降8至12℃，内蒙古呼和浩特等地气温降幅可达20℃。

From Saturday to Tuesday, temperatures in Northwest and North China will hit new winter lows. The eastern part of Northwest China and the central-western part of North China are expected to be the hardest hit, with some areas seeing drops exceeding 14 C.

1月25日至28日，西北和华北地区气温将创入冬后新低。预计西北地区东部和华北地区中西部将受影响最为严重，局地降温幅度将超过14℃。

Snowfall on Thursday will mainly affect northern Xinjiang, while snow is forecast for the eastern parts of Northwest China and North China from Friday to Saturday. Snow will continue in Northeast China on Sunday and Monday.

1月23日的降雪将主要影响新疆北部。1月24日至25日，中国西北地区东部和华北地区东部将有降雪。1月26日至27日，降雪将持续影响东北地区。

The meteorological administration warned that the cold wave and rain-snow conditions coincide with the Spring Festival travel rush, potentially affecting transportation. It urged drivers to reduce speeds and increase following distances when driving in wet and snowy conditions.

气象部门警告称，寒潮和雨雪天气恰逢春运期间，可能会对交通运输造成影响。该部门敦促驾驶员在雨雪天气行驶时降低车速、增大车距。

Meanwhile, a senior forecaster said on Sunday that the winter will be increasingly characterized by extreme temperature swings, including sudden cold spells.

1月19日，一位高级预报员表示，今冬气温波动将愈发极端，包括突发寒潮。

"This winter has felt relatively mild so far, but it remains uncertain whether it will officially qualify as a warm winter," said Lin Nan, a meteorological analyst at the China Meteorological Administration.

中国气象局气象分析师林楠表示：“到目前为止，这个冬天感觉相对温暖，但能否正式定为暖冬尚不确定。”

Temperatures in 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, were all above normal. Eastern Xinjiang, eastern Inner Mongolia, central and eastern Hunan, and southern Hubei saw temperatures more than 2 C higher than usual, with some areas exceeding 4 C above average.

北京市、天津市、河北省、内蒙古自治区等22个省、市、自治区气温均高于常年同期。新疆东部、内蒙古东部、湖南中东部、湖北南部气温较常年同期偏高2℃以上，局地超过4℃。

Lin attributed the milder temperatures to weaker cold air masses. As these air masses moved southeast, they warmed gradually under sunlight, resulting in shorter and less intense cold spells in central and eastern regions.

林楠表示，气温偏高是由于冷空气势力不强，而且在东移南下的过程中逐渐被光照加热暖化，导致中东部地区寒潮持续时间短、强度小。

The lack of strong winds and precipitation also reduced wind chill and damp cold effects, making temperatures feel closer to actual readings, Lin said.

林楠指出，大风和降水天气不多，因此风寒效应、湿冷效应相应减少，使得体感温度更接近实际气温。

Despite the mild start to winter, Lin emphasized that periods of cold weather remain likely. Whether this winter will be classified as warm depends on the average temperature from December to February being 0.5 C higher than normal.

林楠强调，尽管今冬开局温暖，但寒冷天气仍可能出现。今冬能否被定为暖冬，取决于12月至2月的平均气温是否比常年偏高0.5℃。

"Even in a warm winter, there can be sharp temperature drops and cold spells," Lin said, challenging the perception that warm winters mean consistently mild weather.

林楠表示：“即使在暖冬，也可能出现气温骤降和寒潮，”打破了“暖冬”就是冬天一暖到底的观念。

plummet

v.暴跌，急剧下降

precipitation

n.（尤指雨或雪的）降落；降水