Fansipan peak, located in Sa Pa ward at an elevation of 3,143 m, began to experience frost from last night, 24/12, as temperatures fell to one to three degrees C. By this morning, a thick layer of ice covered pathways, rock formations, and the flagpole area. This marks the thickest frost accumulation recorded since the start of the 2025-2026 winter season.

Tourists enjoy the frost on Fansipan peak, morning of 25/12. *Photo: Lan Huong.*

The soft, thick ice delighted many tourists, who rolled it into balls as if it were snow. By 7:00 h, the sky had cleared, and the frost began to melt under the morning sun.

Northern Vietnam is currently affected by a moderate cold air mass. Mau Son, Lang Son, recorded the lowest temperature at 5 degrees C, a drop of 5 degrees compared to yesterday. Other northern areas such as Sin Ho, Lai Chau; Dong Van, Tuyen Quang; and Tam Dao, Phu Tho, saw temperatures between 7 and 9 degrees. In Hanoi, temperatures today uniformly decreased by 4 to 5 degrees from yesterday; stations in Hoai Duc, Ha Dong, Son Tay, and Lang reported 17 degrees, while Ba Vi registered 16 degrees.

US-based Accuweather forecasts that today will be Hanoi's coldest day of this period, with temperatures ranging from 14 to 19 degrees. From tomorrow, daily high temperatures are expected to rise to 21 to 22 degrees. High-altitude locations above 1,500 m, such as Sa Pa, Lao Cai, will see minimum temperatures of 6 to 11 degrees, increasing to 8 to 15 degrees C by the weekend.

Meteorological agencies anticipate that over the next month, cold air activity will tend to be weaker than the multi-year average. However, there remains a possibility of severe cold spells, primarily concentrated in January 2026.

Gia Chinh