[Weather] Seoul Records 'Largest' December Snowfall in 42 Years... Snow and Rain Until the 31st

On the 30th, the last Saturday of 2023, heavy snow fell mainly in the central region. On the last day, the 31st, heavy snow is expected mainly in Gangwon.

On the 30th, when a heavy snow warning was issued for Seoul and the metropolitan area, many residents came out to spread de-icing agents and clear the snow as heavy snow fell in Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

As a cloud band developed over the West Sea moved in, snow and rain fell starting in the morning in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, and Chungnam. At one point, a heavy snow warning was issued for most of Gangwon except for the northern and eastern parts of the Seoul metropolitan area and the east coast.

As of 4 p.m., the heavy snow warning for the Seoul metropolitan area was lifted. In the afternoon, due to the inflow of warm air into the lower atmosphere, the snow changed to sleet or rain.

Precipitation will continue until the last day of 2023, the 31st. Rain or snow will fall in most areas until the morning of the 31st. Some parts of Chungcheong and Honam will see precipitation until the evening of the 31st, and Jeju will continue to have precipitation until the night of the 31st. Gangwon Yeongdong and the northern east coast of Gyeongbuk may experience rain or snow until the early morning of the New Year’s Day.

The snow that fell this time is characterized by significant differences in snowfall amounts due to subtle differences in ground temperature between regions and altitude.

In Seoul, the maximum new snow depth recorded at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Songwol-dong, Jongno-gu, was 12.2 cm, while in Gwanak-gu it was only 1.3 cm. The official maximum new snow depth in Seoul was 12.2 cm, the highest December snowfall in 42 years since December 19, 1981 (18.3 cm). For the entire winter, it was the highest since January 4, 2010 (25.4 cm).

The expected additional snowfall amounts are 5?15 cm in the Gangwon mountain areas (up to 30 cm or more in the northern mountains), 5?10 cm in the central and northern east coast of Gangwon (up to 15 cm or more in the northern east coast), 3?8 cm in the inland areas of Gangwon, 1?5 cm in the southern east coast of Gangwon, northern inland Gyeongbuk, northern mountain areas of Gyeongbuk, and Jeju mountain areas, 1?3 cm in eastern Gyeonggi, northern Chungbuk, and eastern Jeonbuk, and around 1 cm in the southwestern inland Gyeongbuk and western inland Gyeongnam.

Expected precipitation amounts are 5?20 mm in Gangwon, 5?10 mm in the Seoul metropolitan area, West Sea 5 islands, Chungcheong, Jeonbuk, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Ulleungdo, Dokdo, and Jeju, and around 5 mm in Gwangju, Jeonnam, Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. In the inland and mountain areas of Gangwon, snowfall rates of 1?3 cm per hour are expected until the early morning of the 31st, and heavy snow may fall on the central and northern east coast of Gangwon from morning to night on the 31st. Those planning to climb mountains in Gangwon or visit the east coast for New Year celebrations should prepare accordingly.

Until the 31st, the sky will be mostly cloudy nationwide, making it difficult to see the year-end sunset even without snow or rain. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained, "It will be difficult to see the sunset in most areas, but in some places where low clouds thin out, the sunset may be visible through the clouds." The sunset times at major locations are Seoul at 5:23 p.m., Gangneung at 5:15 p.m., Daejeon at 5:25 p.m., Jeonju at 5:27 p.m., Gwangju at 5:30 p.m., Daegu and Busan at 5:21 p.m., and Jeju at 5:36 p.m.

On New Year’s Day, under the influence of high pressure moving from northeastern China to the East Sea, the sky will be mostly clear nationwide, allowing most areas to see the sunrise. However, the east coast and Jeju, popular sunrise spots, may have difficulty seeing the sunrise due to low-altitude clouds moving in from the sea. Sunrise times are Seoul at 7:47 a.m., Gangneung at 7:40 a.m., Daejeon at 7:42 a.m., Jeonju at 7:41 a.m., Gwangju at 7:41 a.m., Daegu at 7:36 a.m., Busan at 7:32 a.m., and Jeju at 7:38 a.m.

Meanwhile, temperatures will remain slightly above average for the time being. The lowest temperatures on the morning of the 31st are expected to range from -1°C to 8°C, and the highest temperatures during the day from 4°C to 11°C. On New Year’s Day, the morning low will range from -6°C to 4°C, and the daytime high will remain between 4°C and 11°C as on the previous day. Temperatures in northern Gyeonggi and the inland mountain areas of Gangwon will drop below -5°C, so caution is advised.

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