Warm Lunar New Year Holiday, Daytime Highs Up to 10°C... "Dense Fog, Drive with Caution"

Temperatures 2-6°C Higher Than Average with Morning Below Freezing and Large Daily Temperature Range
Visibility Below 100m in Parts of the West Sea...Check Sailing Schedules

On the 8th, three days before the Lunar New Year holiday, Namdaemun Market in Seoul appeared quiet despite the upcoming holiday rush. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] This Lunar New Year holiday will be mostly clear and warm, with the highest temperature rising up to 10 degrees Celsius. Frequent fog in the mornings requires caution while driving.

On the 9th, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that during the Lunar New Year holiday, under the influence of high pressure, the weather will be mostly clear with occasional clouds. Especially on the 12th and 13th, the nationwide daytime high temperature is expected to exceed 10 degrees Celsius, with the southern regions surpassing 15 degrees, resulting in warm weather.

Warm air will flow in due to the high pressure, and the ground will be heated by sunlight during the day, maintaining temperatures higher than usual. The daytime high temperature will remain 2 to 6 degrees above the average, but at night, as the ground cools, many places will see morning low temperatures drop below freezing, so attention to the temperature difference between day and night is necessary.

On the 14th, a rain cloud band will develop over the West Sea. Rain will begin in Jeju Island and is forecasted to expand to the Jeonnam and Gyeongnam regions. This is due to the high pressure moving eastward, warm and humid winds blowing from the southwest, and cold air approaching from the northwest, which causes the development of rain clouds.

A meteorological official said, "If the cold air approaching from the northwest moves faster, the development of the rain cloud band may be accelerated, making it possible for rain to fall in other regions by the afternoon of the 14th."

Two days before the Lunar New Year holiday, the biggest ethnic holiday, on the 9th, information about flights to Jeju is displayed at the domestic terminal of Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Fog will be widespread mainly along the west coast and inland areas. In the central inland regions where morning low temperatures drop below freezing from the 11th to the 13th, moisture from fog may freeze on roads, making them slippery, so traffic safety should be carefully observed. Fog formed overnight due to temperature drops is expected to persist until daytime, remaining as haze in many areas.

In the western regions where moisture is brought in from the sea by southwest winds, dense fog will frequently occur, and visibility in some parts of the West Sea will be very low, below 100 meters. Dense fog is expected at Incheon, Gimpo, Cheongju, and Gwangju airports, which may disrupt smooth flight operations, so checking flight information in advance is necessary.

A meteorological official explained, "Drivers using bridges located in the West Sea coastal areas should increase the distance between vehicles and reduce driving speed when fog is present," adding, "Visibility is expected to drop below 100 meters due to fog mainly at airports in the western regions such as Incheon and Gimpo International Airports from early morning to late morning."

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