A cold wave will hit Hebei province Feb 9 through Feb 11, and moderate snow will cover most regions of the province, the Hebei Provincial Meteorological Bureau said on Feb 8 at a press conference.

The middle and central regions of the province will be blanketed by heavy snow, the bureau warned.

Shijiazhaung, the capital of the province, will face moderate to heavy snow, and the capital’s western region will be hit by storms.

Experts with the Shijiazhuang Meteorological Bureau said the snow likely won’t be as heavy as the snows in November 2009.

In November, nearly 50 centimeters of snow fell over two days in Shijiazhuang. It was the heaviest snowfall in Shijiazhuang since 1955 when the city began to collect meteorological records.

This week, temperatures are forecast to fall by 8 C to 10 C, and the lowest temperature may hit -28 to - 30 C in the northern region of the province.

Most of the province’s plains will be shrouded by heavy fog, and the bureau has issued a yellow warning for heavy fog and road ice.

The severe weather will disrupt road transportation, the Shijiazhuang’s transportation management authorities said.

The first peak during the Spring Festival travel rush will arrive on Feb 10 and continue through Feb 13, officials with the Shijiazhuang Transport Management Bureau said.

Local governmental departments are on high alert and bracing for the coming severe weather.

By Guo Changdong