The National Meteorological Center forecast on Friday that temperatures in North, Central and East China during the Spring Festival holiday will fall to the lowest point seen this winter - as much as 3 C lower than in 2011.

Residents of East and South China may see rain and snow on Spring Festival Eve, which falls on Sunday, and during the Lunar New Year, according to predictions.

Forecasters said heavy snows will fall in the central part of East China's Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces and the northern part of Central China's Hunan province. Freezing rain, meanwhile, is expected in the western part of Southwest China's Guizhou province, the southern part of Hunan province and the central part of Jiangxi province.

Thermometers are expected to start rising on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but sleet and snow will keep coming down during the next five days.

In contrast, the weather in a large part of North China is predicted to be sunny and cold.

From Spring Festival Eve to the first day of the Lunar New Year, light snow is expected to fall on the eastern part of Northwest China, the northern part of the Shandong Peninsula, and the northern and eastern parts of Northeast China.

Forecasters also expect to see light snowfall in the northern part of Northeast China on Jan 25 and 26.