BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory said Saturday that a cold front will sweep across northern areas over the next few days, leading to a fall in temperature and snowfalls.

Regions including Xinjiang Uyger Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, and areas in northeast China, will see temperatures plunge by up to 12 degrees Celsius from Saturday to Tuesday, accompanied by sleet or blizzards, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said.

The chill will be milder in areas to the north of the Huaihe River, with temperatures to decrease by four to eight degrees Celsius.

Before the cold air arrives, there will be heavy smog in places such as provinces of Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu starting Saturday. Attention should be paid to the impact on traffic, the NMC said.