November 1, 2009 China embraces first snowfall of winter Play video

(NECN/CCTV) - Biting cold and strong winds gripped Chinese provinces on Sunday as Beijing embraced its first snowfall this winter.

The National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert against the cold front on Sunday morning, forecasting strong winds and plummeting temperatures in north, central and east China.

Jilin Province in the northeast suffered from heavy snowfall, bringing traffic to a standstill.

CCTV broadcast video showing a city covered in snowfall and local people using shovels to clear snow from the road.

A temperature drop of as many as 14 degrees Celsius is expected in some parts in the north and east.

In Beijing, snow which started in the small hours and got heavier in the morning, covered most of the city proper, capping roofs and lawn in every neighborhood.

The Beijing Weather Modification Office said they had used artificial means to increase the snow to ease the lingering drought.

The minimum air temperature in Beijing is expected to touch minus three degrees Celsius.

Beijing Municipal Meteorological Observatory issued a warning against a strong cold front on Saturday night.