Warmer weather expected after Thursday morning chill

Bundled-up commuters head to their workplaces from Gwanghwamun Sqaure in downtown Seoul on Dec. 22, 2023. [NEWS1]

Korea is bracing for this year’s first cold morning as subzero temperatures grip the peninsula on Thursday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), morning lows nationwide will hover between minus 8 degrees Celsius (17 degrees Fahrenheit) and 1 degree Celsius as the cold air descends from the northwest.

In the capital, morning lows are expected to plummet to minus 3 degrees Celsius and those in mountainous areas of Gangwon to as low as minus 11 degrees Celsius. As the sharp wind sweeps the country, the wind chill in Pyeongchang and Daegwallyeong may drop to as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius at dawn Thursday.

However, Thursday’s cold is expected to dissipate during the day. Daytime highs will range between 4 to 10 degrees Celsius. The sky will be clear in the morning but is expected to become cloudier in central regions during the afternoon.

The mercury will hover around average annual temperatures or higher after Thursday morning. On Friday, morning lows will range between minus 5 to 5 degrees Celsius nationwide, up around 4 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day. The KMA expects typical temperatures for the season on Saturday, too. The cold air mass may descend again on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the country’s air quality will be poor this week as fine dust in the western parts of the peninsula lingers. Ultrafine dust levels will also remain high due to an overseas influx.

Ultrafine dust concentration in the greater Seoul area, the western region of Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Jeolla remained within the “bad” level — the third level of the four-tier system — falling in the range of 36 to 75 micrograms per cubic meter on Wednesday.

The air quality will worsen on Thursday as ultrafine dust concentration levels fall within the bad level in almost all parts of the country except the eastern regions of Gangwon, Ulsan and Busan.

The pollution level in these three regions will be at the second-tier “moderate” level. The air will become cleaner on Sunday, with ultrafine dust expected to clear away.

On Wednesday, parts of the country saw some rain and snow, with inland and mountainous areas in Gangwon experiencing one to three centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) of snow and Jeju with less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) of rain.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]