Snow giving way to cold snap, no white Christmas in Seoul

Social Affairs

Published: 21 Dec. 2022, 17:12 Updated: 21 Dec. 2022, 19:00

Snow giving way to cold snap, no white Christmas in Seoul

Passersby walk in the snow on Wednesday morning in downtown Seoul. Weather officials are warning of sinking temperatures from Thursday. [YONHAP]

Temperatures will soon dip to the lowest of the season in the greater Seoul area as snow clouds recede.

The cold snap will likely continue through Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

On Thursday morning, temperatures in greater Seoul will likely sink to minus 9 degrees Celsius (15.8 degrees Fahrenheit), with strong winds pushing the wind chill temperature to minus 15 degrees.

The following day will be even colder.

Temperatures in the capital will go to minus 14 degrees on Friday, with the wind chill temperature hitting minus 20 degrees, making it the coldest day of the season.

A winter storm dropped several centimeters of snow across Korea’s central regions on Wednesday, with heavy snow warnings issued.

By Wednesday at 10 a.m., 3.5 centimeters (about 1.4 inches) of snow fell in Seoul, 8.3 centimeters in Yangju, Gyeonggi and 5.8 centimeters in Hwacheon, Gangwon.

In the Seoul metropolitan area — Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi — heavy snow warnings were lifted by around 10:30 a.m., but weather officials warned that sleet was expected to sporadically fall throughout Wednesday afternoon.

The southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, inland parts of northwest South Gyeongsang and high elevations of Jeju Island were expected to receive heavy snow until Wednesday afternoon.

The northeastern province of Gangwon, the central province of North Chungcheong, eastern parts of the southwest province of North Jeolla and the west inland parts of the southeastern Gyeongsang provinces will experience either rain or snow until Wednesday night, the KMA said.

Intense snow will once again descend on South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Jeju Island from Thursday to Saturday, Christmas Eve. About 5 to 15 centimeters of snow was predicted to fall in those areas on Thursday alone, and the KMA is warning of property damage.

South Jeolla, North Jeolla and the higher elevations of Jeju Island will be slammed particularly hard with snow on Thursday, weather officials said, possibly more than 25 centimeters.

From Thursday to Saturday, cumulative snowfall of more than 50 centimeters is expected on Jeju Island's Mount Halla.

With temperatures expected to plummet nationwide on Thursday, officials warned that the snow that slightly melted on Wednesday afternoon could freeze over, turning roads slippery and dangerous.

The KMA warned the public to use mass transportation on their way to and from work this week.

Most of the country won’t experience any snow this weekend on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Nationwide temperatures will slowly start to climb from Saturday, but next week will be colder than in previous years, said the KMA.

Several car accidents were reported across the nation on Wednesday, including one cargo truck slipping in an icy underground passageway in Daejeon before crashing into a wall.

The driver, a man in his 40s, was transferred to a nearby hospital but died.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]