Beijing was expected to see its first snowfall of the winter on Thursday morning, according to the capital's official weather forecasters.

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Up to 2 centimeters of snow was predicted to fall before noon, ending the city's longest wait for the white stuff in 60 years.

"The snow will fall throughout the city," said Sun Jisong, a general engineer at the Beijing Meteorological Station. "It will start after midnight and is likely to stop around noon."

Although the increased moisture will help reduce the risk of fire, which has been at the highest level throughout the Spring Festival, reports indicate precipitation will be only 1 to 2 mm.

"The snow won't ease the unusual drought that has lasted for more than 100 days, nor end the impact the aridity has had on farming," added Sun. "The possibility of heavier snow remains low."

The lack of water vapor in the atmosphere has been the key reason for this winter's drought across North China. Sun explained the water vapor needed arrives in to the capital from the southwest, through Shanxi and Hebei provinces.

Beijing has seen no rainfall since Oct 25. Downtown areas received a dusting of snow for three hours on Dec 29, although it was not confirmed as the "first snow" because it was so light and isolated.

The lengthy drought has put a serious strain on farming, fire and rescue services and water supplies in some mountainous areas. Roughly 90 percent of the capital's 60,000 hectares of winter wheat has appeared withered since late January, which may threaten output in spring, according to reports on the China News website.

More than 870 fires broke out during the first five days of Spring Festival, a 57-percent increase on 2010, said the fire prevention bureau. The health bureau also confirmed that the number of people injured by firecrackers and fireworks from Feb 2 to 8 reached 409, a 13-percent hike, including two deaths, the first reported in six years.

"About 2,000 people in mountainous areas are suffering from a lack of water," Wang Yi, an official with Beijing's office of flood control and drought relief, told Beijing Times in late January.

Despite the long wait for snow, Sun warned that the 2 centimeters of snowfall expected on Thursday could put a strain on traffic, as it will fall during the morning rush hours.

The city's transport officials were unavailable to comment at the time of going to press.

Zhang Qiang, acting deputy director of the Beijing Weather Modification Office, said his team is well prepared and will start to induce the snow artificially when it becomes possible, Beijing Evening News reported on Wednesday.

China Daily