TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hikers on Taiwan’s second highest mountain, Xueshan, reported snow as deep as 30 centimeters on Saturday (April 1).

The Bunun Mountaineering Team first posted the news to its Facebook page, advising hikers to be cautious and bring crampons when going up the peak. “It’s not an April Fool’s joke, there really is snow, be careful.”

Facebook user Edison Liu later posted photos to confirm that there was indeed a “snowstorm” at the summit.

Newtalk reported that snow began falling on Xueshan on Monday (March 27). The Shei-Pa National Park headquarters also posted on social media before the start of the extended Tomb Sweeping Holiday weekend to urge hikers to be prepared for snowy weather.

According to the headquarters, snow, a rare event on Xueshan, came late this year. Usually, snow season ends by the end of March and brings 5-10 cm of snow.

The headquarters’ Deputy Director Chen Chun-shan (陳俊山) was cited by Liberty Times as saying that the only other times Xueshan has seen snowfall in recent years were in 2013 and 2016. The headquarters wrote that this year, it had not snowed hard enough for snow to accumulate during the normal snowy season, so many people overlooked the potential risks of hiking in snowy weather.

The headquarters reminded hikers to make appropriate preparations before arriving at Xueshan, such as bringing and learning to use snow hiking equipment, dressing warm, and assessing relevant risks.