Metropolitan Area, Gangwon Mountain Region, and Chungcheong Area Heavy Snow Warning... Severe Cold Until Weekend

Snowfall in the Seoul Metropolitan Area from Morning to Evening
Up to 10cm in Eastern Gyeonggi, Central-Southern Inland Gangwon, Northern Chungbuk
3-8cm in Seoul Metropolitan Area, Inland and Mountainous Gangwon, Inland Chungnam, Central and Northern Chungbuk
Very Cold with Morning Temperatures -15~-5°C and Strong Winds Until the Day After Tomorrow

On the 13th, citizens are walking in the snow in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] On Thursday the 15th, a heavy snow warning was issued for the Seoul metropolitan area, the mountainous areas of Gangwon, and the Chungcheong region. The severe cold will continue until the 17th.

On the 15th, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy snow advisory at 8 a.m. for Gyeonggi-do, Seoul, Incheon, Sejong, Gangwon-do (Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Hongcheon plains, Chuncheon, Yanggu plains, Inje plains, northern Gangwon mountainous areas), and Chungcheongnam-do (Cheonan, Gongju, Asan, Yesan, Taean, Dangjin, Seosan, Hongseong).

A medium-scale low-pressure system developing over the Bohai Sea is passing through the central region, bringing heavy snowfall mainly to the central areas. Starting from the morning in the central region, snowfall will expand in the afternoon to Jeonbuk, northern inland Gyeongbuk, southwestern inland Gyeongbuk, and western inland Gyeongnam. Snow is expected to fall in the Seoul metropolitan area and northern Chungnam in the late afternoon, and in other areas until night. In regions under the heavy snow advisory, 3 to 8 cm of snow will accumulate, with some areas receiving more than 10 cm.

Eastern Gyeonggi, central and southern inland Gangwon, and northern Chungbuk will see more than 10 cm of snow in one day. The Seoul metropolitan area, inland and mountainous Gangwon, inland Chungnam, and central and northern Chungbuk are expected to have 3 to 8 cm, while the western coast of Chungnam, southern Chungbuk, northern inland Gyeongbuk, and the five western islands will accumulate about 1 to 5 cm. Jeonbuk, northern Jeonnam, and western inland Gyeongnam are forecasted to have 1 to 3 cm.

Across the country, the sky is mostly cloudy with temperatures as low as the previous day. As of 6 a.m., Seoul was -7.3°C, Suwon -8.8°C, and Incheon -7.1°C. Suanbo (Chungju) recorded -17.0°C, Anhung (Hoengseong) -16.8°C, Cheongcheon (Goesan) -16.3°C, and Hyeonseo (Cheongsong) -14.3°C, with Gangwon, Chungcheong, and northern inland Gyeongbuk dropping below -10°C.

Cold wave warnings are in effect for inland Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, Chungbuk, and inland Gyeongbuk, with the cold wave expected to persist until the 17th. Inland and mountainous Gangwon and northeastern mountainous Gyeongbuk will experience temperatures around -15°C, other central regions including Jeonbuk and Gyeongbuk around -10°C, and other southern regions between -5°C and 0°C, making it very cold. Strong winds will also blow, lowering the wind chill temperature further.

The Korea Meteorological Administration advised, "Visibility will be reduced in areas with rain or snow, and roads may be slippery due to freezing of accumulated rain or snow. Drivers should maintain sufficient safety distances and pay special attention to traffic safety."

Until tonight, strong winds with gusts around 15 m/s (about 20 m/s in mountainous Gangwon) will blow mainly in coastal areas and Gangwon mountainous regions. Until the 16th, very strong winds of 10 to 20 m/s will blow over the central East Sea offshore and northern southern East Sea offshore, with waves reaching 2 to 4 meters (over 5 meters in the outer East Sea offshore), creating very high seas.

On the 17th and 18th, heavy snow is expected mainly along the western coast of Chungnam, the western coast of Jeolla, and Jeju Island. As the cold continental high-pressure system expands and passes over the West Sea, a snow cloud band will form, and there is a possibility of a heavy snow warning being issued during this period.

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