On Nov. 19, heavy snow in northeast China forced the closure of two major airports, disrupting the travel plans of more than 1,000 people.

Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, and Taiping International Airport in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, were both closed at around 1 p.m., the Northeast China Air Traffic Control Center of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) said.

The airport in Harbin is scheduled to reopen at 4:40 p.m. and Shenyang Airport will resume operation at 5 p.m.

Longjia Airport in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, was also closed at mid-day, but reopened at around 2:30 p.m. At least 14 flights were affected.

The heaviest snowfall to hit northeast this winter reduced visibility to around 300 meters at Taoxian Airport and canceled nearly all the incoming and outgoing flights on Nov. 19, said CAAC's Northeast China Air Traffic Control Center based in Shenyang.

The airport handles 150 flights each day.

The snow, which started at around 11:30 a.m. in Shenyang, closed five expressways, half of the city's total, including the one that links the city center with the airport.

It is expected to last until 8:00 p.m., the city's meteorological bureau said.

Nov. 19 has also been the coldest day so far this winter in Shenyang, with the minimum temperature dropping to minus 12 degrees Celsius and strong gales reaching 60 km per hour.

In Jilin Province further north, the minimum temperature in most areas is forecast between minus 18 and minus 15 degrees Celsius.

Heavy snow is common in northeast China, where the minimum temperature often falls below minus 20 in winter.

In early March, the heaviest snow to hit the region in 56 years caused a crisis in Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning Province, with power, heat and water supplies cut off in some areas.