HOHHOT - Expressways were closed, flights were canceled and ferry services were halted Tuesday in north China as heavy snow and strong gales hit Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Liaoning and Shandong provinces.

The China Central Meteorological Station said snow had fallen in the central region of Inner Mongolia, the northern part of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as well as the northeastern provinces of Jilin and Liaoning.

The station said temperatures in Inner Mongolia would drop by 10 degrees Celsius over the next three days.

The main bus station in Hohhot, capital city of Inner Mongolia, began canceling all long-distance coach services on Tuesday morning after the first snow of the season blanketed the city.

Meanwhile, heavy snow has continued to fall in Liaoning, and some parts of the province are expected to experience blizzard conditions.

As of 4 pm, some sections of, and entrances to more than eight major expressways in Liaoning, including the Beijing-Shenyang Expressway, had blocked motor vehicles from entering due to icy road conditions, according to the provincial traffic department.

The road closures have resulted in the suspension of many long-distance coach services in Liaoning.

A spokesperson for the Taoxian Airport of Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning, said Tuesday evening that the airport would be closed until 11 pm due to heavy snow.

Maritime authorities in the coastal city of Yantai in Shandong province have issued a yellow alert for sea waves Tuesday as strong gales are imminent. All ferry services between Yantai and Dalian, Liaoning Province were suspended Tuesday afternoon.

China has a four-color coded sea wave and storm surge warning system. Red is the most serious level, followed by orange, yellow and blue.