Heavy Snow Warnings Across Gyeonggi... Strong Snow Showers Until Night Raise Concerns Over Rush Hour Congestion

On the 12th, when heavy snow fell mainly in Seoul, the metropolitan area, and the west coast, citizens were bustling on the streets of Sinchon, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] On the afternoon of the 12th, heavy snow is falling in some areas of the Gyeonggi region, where a heavy snow warning has been issued.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Weather Administration, as of 4 p.m. that day, the snowfall amounts recorded were 9.4 cm in Siheung, 7.8 cm in Gwacheon, 7.6 cm in Gwangmyeong, 4.6 cm in Hwaseong, and 4.5 cm in Yongin.

The Weather Administration issued heavy snow warnings sequentially from 3:30 p.m. that day for 10 areas in the province, including Goyang, Gimpo, Siheung, Gwangmyeong, Namyangju, Guri, Gapyeong, Anyang, Gunpo, and Gwacheon.

A heavy snow warning is issued when snowfall is expected to accumulate 5 cm or more within 24 hours, so caution is required for driving on snowy roads and pedestrian safety.

The Weather Administration forecasted that snow would fall heavily in the metropolitan area until 6 p.m., mostly stopping around 9 p.m., and in other areas, snow flurries would mostly subside around midnight.

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province activated Level 1 emergency snow removal operations from 3 p.m. that day, deploying about 700 provincial and municipal officials and 465 snow removal vehicles to carry out snow removal work such as spreading calcium chloride.

The province first deployed snow removal vehicles and equipment in advance to 116 vulnerable sections in Hyeoncheon-dong, Goyang City, and Daeya-dong, Siheung, and strengthened patrols and safety measures on side roads and mountain passes where road icing is expected.

Additionally, emergency disaster messages were sent to residents, and local governments were encouraged to cooperate in clearing snow in front of homes and shops.

A Weather Administration official said, "Heavy snow during rush hour is expected to cause traffic congestion," and advised, "When driving, maintain sufficient distance between vehicles and reduce speed to prevent accidents."

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