TAIPEI, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan had its first snowfall of the year Friday as cold fronts and rainfall swept through the island.

Snow began falling at around 9:00 a.m. in a park on Xueshan Mountain in central Taiwan, which sits at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, said the park management office. The mountain is the island's second-highest peak.

Hail and snow also fell on Hehuanshan Mountain, with an altitude of 3,402 meters, on Friday at noon but did not produce visible snowy or icy surfaces.

There may still be snowfall in the mountains until Saturday morning, the island's weather department said.

A continental cold air mass is expected to reach Taiwan late Friday, and temperatures could potentially drop to as low as 12 degrees Celsius in northern and northeastern areas, the weather department said.