BEIJING - The top meteorological authority forecast Friday that rain and snow will hit most areas in China as a cold front sweeps from the western to the eastern parts of the country during the three-day New Year holiday that starts on January 1.

From Sunday to Tuesday, the cold front will drop temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Celsius in the north and 6 degrees in the south, the National Meteorological Center forecast.

Beijing is expected to again see slight snow starting on Sunday night with a drop of 3-5 degrees in temperature.

Since January 2, most regions in the south, including the eastern part of Sichuan province and some areas in Chongqing, Guizhou and Yunnan, will see rain. Northern regions including Inner Mongolia, Liaoning and Shandong will get a small to moderate amount of snow, while south Tibet will endure snow storms.

The NMC also said the current foggy conditions in the central and eastern regions will last until Monday.