Human snowman on patrol at Beijing intersection

A man stood at a Beijing intersection in the freezing cold for most of Sunday morning, warning motorists and pedestrians of falling snow, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

Holding a handmade sign that read, "Watch out, falling snow," the man, who was not identified, alerted passers-by of the danger near Datun station on the Beijing Subway's Line 5, the report said.

The capital saw its first snow of the winter from late Saturday to Sunday, resulting in congestion on some expressways.

By 11 am on Sunday, 56.6 mm of precipitation had fallen, the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Center said.

The man, who lives near the intersection and has been praised by Internet users for his actions, said he saw snow falling from the subway station's roof and feared passers-by or cars may be hit, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

The report said large blocks of snow fell on to the road and passing cars from time to time on Sunday.