Sleet and snow will continue in areas south of China's Huaihe River in the next three days, after a long-awaited snow covered north China, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) forecast on Saturday.

On Dec. 30 and 31, light-to-moderate snow and sleet will spread across northern Xinjiang, southern Qinghai, northeastern Tibet, central Inner Mongolia, northern Hebei, eastern Jilin, western Liaoning, areas east of the Yellow and Huaihe river valleys and Hubei.

On Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, the precipitation will move to eastern Jilin, southern Liaoning, areas east and south of the Yellow and Huaihe river valleys, the Hanjiang River valleys and Yangtze-Huaihe valleys.

On Jan. 1 and 2, heavy snow will blanket central Shaanxi, southern Henan and northwestern Hubei.

The CMA said the snow on Dec. 30 covered central Inner Mongolia, most of north China, southern Henan, northwestern Hubei and areas west of the Yellow and Huaihe river valleys.

The snow cleansed the air and re-hydrated the soil in north China, helping alleviate drought conditions and benefiting the growth of winter wheat there, said He Lifu, chief forecaster with the CMA.

But traffic was forced to slow to 20 kilometers per hour in 90 road sections in urban Beijing. Three thousand policemen were sent to direct the traffic and clear the jams.

The city's road maintenance department dispatched 1,500 workers to clear the snow.

The snow has also resulted in the closure of highways around Beijing and delayed 500 aircraft arrivals and departures at the capital airport by 6:00 PM.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2006)