December Gangwon-do, Heavy Rain and Heavy Snow Warnings Issued Simultaneously... First Time Since Warning System Introduction

An unusual weather phenomenon occurred in Gangwon Province, where heavy rain and heavy snow warnings were issued simultaneously. This is the first time in 25 years since the introduction of weather warnings in 1999 that a heavy rain warning has been issued in Gangwon in December. At the same time, a heavy snow warning was issued for the high-altitude mountainous areas of Gangwon. This is also the first time that both heavy rain and heavy snow warnings have been issued for the same area.

On the morning of the 11th, with winter rain falling, students are walking across the crosswalk holding umbrellas at Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 11th, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced the first-ever "December heavy rain warning" for Gangwon Province. According to the KMA, as of 5 p.m. on the 11th, Gangneung and Donghae recorded the highest daily rainfall amounts for December. In the Bukgangneung area, 65.9 mm of rain fell, surpassing the previous record of 47 mm set on December 22, 2008, while Donghae recorded 52.9 mm, exceeding the 40.5 mm record from December 28, 1992.

The KMA forecasted that a low-pressure system moving into the western part of the Korean Peninsula would bring heavy rain nationwide through the 12th. The KMA stated, "Including the rain that has fallen so far and the rain expected to fall, some areas in the Yeongdong region of Gangwon could see a total accumulated rainfall of over 200 mm over the two days of the 11th and 12th."

Additionally, rainfalls of 20?120 mm in Jeju, 30?80 mm in Ulsan, 20?60 mm in Daegu, Busan, and the Gyeongsang region, 10?50 mm in Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungnam, and 10?40 mm in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon Yeongseo, Chungbuk, and Honam regions were forecasted. Heavy rain warnings were issued for Gangwon, Jeju, and Gyeongbuk.

On the 11th, when a heavy snow warning was issued mainly for the northern Gangwon region, near Seoraksan Socheong Shelter [Photo by Seoraksan National Park Office]

Along with record-breaking winter rain, snow is also expected. The KMA issued a preliminary heavy snow warning for the central and southern mountainous areas of Gangwon and the plains of Goseong, stating, "Some areas, especially the high mountains in northern Gangwon, could accumulate more than 70 cm of very heavy snow." Snowfall of 1?5 cm is expected in inland Gangwon, and 1?3 cm and around 1 cm of snow are expected in some mountainous areas of Gyeongbuk and Gyeonggi, respectively.

The KMA explained that the heavy rainfall was caused by "recently high temperatures combined with moisture from a low-pressure system passing south of the Korean Peninsula meeting cold air in the upper atmosphere, creating atmospheric instability." In particular, the easterly winds blowing along the edge of the low-pressure system collided with the Baekdudaegan mountain range, resulting in heavy rain in the eastern regions of Gangwon and Gyeongbuk.

Excluding Jeju, the only major city in South Korea to record over 100 mm of daily rainfall in December was Ulsan on December 19, 1952, with 164.2 mm. This is the first time since 1999 that a "December heavy rain warning" has been issued in Gangwon, the coldest region in South Korea.

The abnormal warmth of winter showed signs from early this month. From the 4th, the Korean Peninsula came under the influence of high pressure, causing temperatures to gradually rise. On the 8th, the highest temperature in Gyeongju soared to 20.9 degrees Celsius, and on the 10th, Seogwipo in Jeju reached a high of 22.4 degrees Celsius. Under these weather conditions, even Gangwon Province experienced rain instead of snow.

The rain is expected to mostly stop on the 12th, but in some areas, temperatures will drop overnight, changing the rain to snow. The KMA forecasted that from the 14th, a low-pressure system will pass over the Korean Peninsula again, bringing rain until the 15th, and that the weather will drastically change starting on the 16th. On the 17th, a cold wave will hit, with the lowest temperature in Seoul dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius, and temperatures will be lower than average.

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