ULAN BATOR, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Around 80 percent of Mongolia's land is now blanketed in snow, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring reported on Monday.
"As of Dec. 20, at least 79 percent of the country's total territory has been covered with snow of up to 20 cm thick, increasing the risk of experiencing the extreme wintry weather 'dzud' this winter," the weather monitoring agency said in a statement.
Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe a severely cold winter when a large number of livestock die because the ground is frozen or covered with snow.
Mongolia is known for its harsh continental climate, marked by long, frigid winters and short summers. ■
