More snow, cold forecast in south and northeast

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Snow and rain will continue to sweep South China over the next three days, meteorological authorities said on Thursday.

From Thursday to Saturday, light to moderate snow or sleet will affect the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and Yunnan, as well as parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Northeast China, the National Meteorological Center said.

Heavy snow will fall in western Hunan and the southeastern parts of Northeast China, while the central and western parts of Guizhou will see freezing rain, according to the center.

The center maintained a blue fog alert on Thursday morning, as visibility has been reduced to less than 1,000 meters in parts of Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Hebei provinces, as well as Chongqing.

Chinese weather authorities use a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Massive amounts of snow have blanketed Anhui's Huangshan Mountain since Tuesday, putting pressure on local authorities to prevent traffic disruption and ensure tourists' safety.

More than 1,000 traffic police officers and volunteers have worked together to clear snow and spread salt on icy roads. Drivers have been asked to put chains on their vehicle tires to prevent skids, and workers have been dispatched to check old trees that may be in danger of falling.

Maintaining power supplies is also a concern, as regions that rely on hydroelectric sources may be prone to power shortages during icy weather, experts warned.

An official from a State Grid branch in Hunan province said more than 100 power lines have frozen in the province, and emergency workers have been sent to handle the problem.

In the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, more than 166,600 people have been affected by the freezing weather, according to the regional civil affairs department.

Freezing rain and snowfall have also affected about 18,500 hectares of farmland in Guangxi.

In neighboring Guizhou province, more than 230,000 people have also been affected by lingering cold weather since December.

It has been confirmed that more than 1,000 hectares of farmland will see no harvest due to the freeze, which will cause Guizhou to lose at least 60 million yuan ($9.6 million).

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.