TAICHUNG (TVBS News) — A strong cold air mass swept through Wuling Farm (武陵農場) in Taichung (台中) on Monday (Jan. 13), causing temperatures to plummet to minus 3.2 degrees Celsius at dawn. The farm reported frost on the grass and icicles on garden trellises, creating a crystalline wonderland.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA, 中央氣象署) attributed the frigid conditions to a powerful continental cold air mass combined with significant radiative cooling effects. These factors led to cold weather across the region, with temperatures ranging from 6 to 12°C in western Taiwan, Yilan (宜蘭), Kinmen (金門), and Matsu (馬祖).
CWA noted that areas from Keelung (基隆) to Tainan (台南) and Nantou (南投) might experience temperatures below 6°C, while Hualien (花蓮) and Taitung (台東) could see temperatures around 10°C. Penghu (澎湖) remained slightly warmer at approximately 14°C. Wuling Farm noted that around 6:30 a.m., the radiative cooling effect caused the temperature to drop to minus 3.2 degrees.
The farm's plants wore a frosty or icy coat, transforming the area into a silvery landscape. Even water bottles inside cars froze, and frost-decorated car windows. Icicles hung from the trellises in the vine garden, resembling a palace of ice crystals. The farm explained that the irrigation system kept water flowing to prevent pipes from freezing, resulting in longer-than-usual icicles that persisted until 10 a.m.