A frigid blast of arctic air is sweeping through China, bringing dramatic temperature drops in places such as Xinjiang. The cold wave dumped heavy snow in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, leading to massive flight disruptions into and out of the region.

On Wednesday morning, the temperature in Xinjiang dropped to minus 40 degrees Celsius. Snow drifts also buried the city of Mohe, in northern China. The temperature there dropped to minus 42 degrees Celsius.

In Laizhou Bay, on the Bohai Sea, more than 30 centimeters of ice piled up along the shore, stretching several kilometers into the ocean. Even waves froze in mid-break in the bay.

Meteorologists predict the severe weather will last for about a week, with temperatures in north China nearing record lows for the year.