Heavy snow blanketed northeast China Thursday, forcing authorities to close an airport and several highways.

The Longjia International Airport in Changchun City, capital of Jilin Province, was closed at 1:30 p.m. Three flight departures were delayed while flights scheduled to land at the airport were rerouted to other airports, local officials said.

Transportation authorities also imposed traffic controls on a number of highways in Jilin after ice accumulated on their surface.

Authorities in neighboring Liaoning Province also issued an "icy road" warning.

The National Meteorological Center forecast a cold front to begin sweeping northeast China Thursday.

In Jilin, temperatures are forecast to drop 10 to 12 centigrade over the next 48 hours. The minimum temperature in the province Friday is expected to be minus 18 degrees centigrade.