Northeast warms as big freeze sweeps southward

Front brings brittle cold to wide area

PHONE TROUBLE

Thousands of disgruntled Chinese netizens took to social media to post about their "frozen" mobile phones over the weekend, with many complaining that the devices would power off almost immediately when used outdoors because of the cold.

DELIVERIES

Parcel deliveries were also affected by the cold snap, especially long-distance services. Some courier companies insisted that they would not suspend services, but said delays were inevitable. YT Express, a leading courier company in China, said the effects would be felt for five to seven days.

LIAONING

About 40 percent, or 13,000 square kilometers, of Liaodong Bay in Northeast China's Liaoning province froze over as temperatures dipped below-20 C. The sea ice ranged in thickness from 10 to 40 centimeters.

CHONGQING

Snow fell in the downtown area on Saturday for the first time in nearly two decades. As of 8 pm, 377 flights at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport were canceled and 178 flights were delayed because of the snowfall.

YUNNAN

Business has been booming in recent days at hot pot restaurants in Kunming, thanks to the cold weather, local media reported. As people are reluctant to venture out into the cold, demand for some restaurants' food delivery services has surged by up to 30 percent.

ANHUI

An escaped peacock was found shivering in the cold on Thursday night in the streets of Hefei, capital of Anhui province. The bird was returned to Hefei Wildlife Zoo after residents spotted it and called the police.

FUJIAN

An estimated 65,000 families in Fujian province had experienced power failures as of Thursday because of the recent cold snap. The local electric company's emergency repairs have so far returned power to 65 percent of those affected.

SHANGHAI

The supply of fresh produce has taken a hit in some cities affected by the cold snap, with vegetables－especially leafy greens－doubling in price in Shanghai.