BEIJING, Feb. 8 -- China's national observatory renewed a blue alert on Wednesday morning, forecasting snowstorms in parts of the northwestern and central regions of the country.

From 2 p.m. Wednesday to 2 p.m. Thursday, heavy snow is expected in parts of several provincial-level regions, including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Blizzards have been forecast to hit some areas of Shaanxi and Shanxi and some places may see more than 10 centimeters of snow cover, the center said.

Local authorities in the affected regions have been advised to make preparations for snowstorms and frost damage. Transportation, power and communications departments should inspect roads, railways and lines and carry out road cleaning and de-icing. Drivers have been instructed to take caution and use anti-skid measures on their vehicles, according to the center.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.