Extremely harsh weather signs were seen in places across China on Wednesday as weather conditions dropped to a lower temperature across the south causing a shiver around Beijing due to heavy downpour of snow.

With the south’s average temperature expected to drop by six to twelve degrees Celsius (43 to 53 Fahrenheit) by Friday, authorities have issued another orange alert, the most stringent in the nation’s three-tier system.

The National Meteorological Centre stated that the temperature could drop by more than 20⁰C in some places.

According to state news agency Xinhua, the NMC “called for necessary measures to protect crops and aquatic products, advised the public to keep warm, and called on local governments to take precautions against the cold weather.”

After an overnight snowfall, Beijing residents awakened to the sight of their city mostly snow-covered, with the temperature hovering around frost on Wednesday.

For the municipality’s roadways, traffic slowed to a crawl, while pedestrians and bicycle riders considered the snow-dusted footpaths dangerous.

Up to 4.1 centimeters (1.6 inches) of snow had fallen in some suburbs regions, according to government officials, who further issued an advisory about slick roadways.

The municipal government posted an update online on Tuesday night saying, “It advises that residents alternate their travel, use public buses and subways, or drive their own cars cautiously and pay close attention to safety.”