Mostly Clear Weather Nationwide...Only Some Areas Expect a 'White Christmas'

Mostly Clear Nationwide
19% Chance of Christmas Snow
Year-End Cold Wave After the Holidays

On Christmas Eve, the 24th, citizens are looking at Christmas decorations at Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] It is expected to be difficult to experience a 'White Christmas' nationwide this year.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the weather will be mostly clear across the country on the 25th. However, there will be some snowfall along the Chungnam West Coast, Jeonbuk, and northern Jeonnam, and flurries in the inland areas of Chungcheong and western Gyeongsang. The expected snowfall is around 1cm.

In fact, it is very rare for snow to fall enough to be recorded on Christmas Day. Since nationwide weather observations began in 1973, there have been only 9 days with a White Christmas in Seoul. The probability of snow is only 19%.

The most recent White Christmas was in 2015, when 0.2cm of snow accumulated in Seoul. Since then, there have been five consecutive years of snowless Christmases.

Instead of snow, a severe cold wave is expected. The morning low temperature in Seoul is forecasted to be -5°C. During the day, the high temperature will remain around 5°C. Especially with the wind, the wind chill temperature will drop by about 3 to 4 degrees, making it feel colder.

After the Christmas holiday, a year-end cold wave will arrive from mid-next week. It is expected to be the coldest days of this winter. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts morning temperatures between -17°C and 4°C from the 29th to the 3rd of next month. Daytime temperatures are also expected to be very cold, ranging from -6°C to 12°C.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.