Snowstorms are forecast to continue affecting millions who are returning to work after family reunions during the Spring Festival holiday.

The National Meteorological Center on Thursday issued a yellow alert for blizzards. China's meteorological disaster alerts are categorized as blue, yellow, orange and red, with red being the most severe and blue the least.

For a second consecutive day, snowstorms will hit Henan, Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces from Thursday morning to Friday morning, the center said in a statement on its website.

Snow on the ground in some regions could be as thick as 20 cm, leading to icy roads, the center said.

The blizzards coincide with the final day of the week-long Spring Festival, the most important traditional holiday in China. Tens of millions of people will return to work from their hometowns.

Snowfall is also forecast for Beijing from Thursday evening. The capital has not seen rain or snow for 107 days.