Photo provided by China Railway's Zhengzhou Group

As heavy snowfall hit many parts of central and eastern China on January 4, workers at Luoyang Locomotive Depot of China Railway's Zhengzhou Group wrapped sandpipes with plastic bags to avoid freezing.

Sand is usually dropped on the rail in front of the driving wheels in wet and slippery conditions and on steep grades in order to improve traction.

China's National Meteorological Center continued to release orange warning of snowstorm at 6:00 am on January 4.

It is predicted that central-southern Henan, most portions of Anhui and Jiangsu, central-eastern Hubei, and northwestern Hunan will be exposed to heavy snow to blizzard.

Heavy blizzard (20-30 mm) will batter central Anhui and southwestern Jiangsu. The newly cumulative snow depth will reach 5-10 cm in these regions. Northwestern Hunan and northeastern Guizhou provinces will be exposed to sleet.

(Compiled by Ni Tao)