BEIJING - China's meteorological authority forecast on Saturday that two cold fronts will sweep the country's north over the next three days, dragging temperatures down and bringing gales.

Temperatures in much of northern China will fall by 4 to 8 degrees Celsius in the coming three days, with some parts experiencing temperature drops of more than 10 degrees Celsius, according to a statement on the website of the National Meteorological Center.

Parts of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as well as Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces will see heavy snow or even snowstorms during the next few days, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the center forecast that fog will blanket North China and areas along the Huaihe River from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

Fog and haze will decrease visibility to within 1,000 meters in parts of Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and as low as 200 meters in some areas, the statement said.