HONG KONG — More snow, even blizzards, are expected this week, but for the most part, China has weathered the crisis brought on by weeks of unusually bad weather, including severe snow and ice storms that affected most of the country, paralyzing transport systems just when millions of people were trying to get home to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Millions spent New Year's Eve in darkness.

"We have won a partial victory against the disaster of rain, snow and ice," said the State Council's Disaster Relief and Emergency Command Center on Saturday. "From today on we must continue to guarantee transport, electricity and basic livelihoods."

The storms, described as the worst in more than half a century, affected the supply of electricity to tens of millions of people as power transmission towers collapsed from the weight of ice and snow.