Heavy snow, wind, causes cancellation of events at Beijing Winter Olympic Games

One thing not seen much at these Winter Olympic Games has been snow – at least, the type that falls from the sky.

Organisers decided to rely on artificial snow to cover the ground throughout the main competition areas due to the lack of natural snow that falls in the region.

However, that changed on Sunday, with thick snow showers blanketing Zhangjiakou, Yanqing and Beijing in a pristine white coat.

It had snowed a little earlier in these Games, not least on Saturday, when impossibly pristine flakes (the sort you only thought possible if rendered by a cartoon studio) fluttered down onto the snowboard cross competition.

That snow, although a complicating factor for athletes, was relatively easily handled by those on course, with volunteers using leaf blowers to clear any big powder build-ups. Visibility never became an issue.

However, on Sunday it was different. A cold change has precipitated a drop in temperature of around 6 degrees – Sunday's midday temperature at the Zhangjiakou Mountain Media Centre was sitting at -12 degrees Celsius – and some gusty wind.

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Volunteers are again out in force, using huge brooms and shovels to sweep the powder away from walkways, stairs and car parks.

But on the snow, things are proving harder to handle.

The second official training for the women's downhill competition in Yanqing was cancelled due to the heavy snowfall making the course treacherous.

Meanwhile, the women's free-ski slopestyle qualification round at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou has been postponed until Monday as a result of visibility concerns and gusting