China's capital reported the heaviest daily snowfall in nearly six decades on Sunday, local meteorological bureau said Monday.

At 10:00 p.m. Sunday, a major meteorological observatory in the southern suburbs of Beijing recorded a daily snowfall of 10 millimeters, the largest amount in one day since 1951, the bureau noted.

The previous record was 6.2 millimeters on Jan. 6, 1989.

By 8:00 p.m. Sunday, the average daily snowfall in Beijing was 10.6 millimeters, or 12.9 millimeters in downtown areas, with the heaviest recorded at 27.3 millimeters in Juyongguan.

The thickest layer of snow accumulated was 37.5 millimeters in the city's Huairou district. The downtown areas saw the thickest layer of snow with Shijingshan district getting 33.5 millimeters.

Sources with the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau said at 6:30 a.m. Monday, more than 4,000 traffic police were deployed ahead of schedule to patrol the city's main roads.

More than 5,000 volunteers would maintain order at crowded bus stops, said Song Jianguo, head of Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, earlier.

Expressways that were closed Sunday resumed operation Monday morning, while sections of several regular highways in the city were closed because of ice.

Affected by the snow storm, primary and middle schools in Beijing and neighboring Tianjin were closed on Monday.