Home > National > Environment

Deep freeze coming as temperatures expected to plunge below freezing on Tuesday

Published: 16 Nov. 2025, 18:26

People bundled in thick clothing walk through Gwanghwamun Intersection in central Seoul on Nov. 10. [NEWS1]

Temperatures will plunge early in the upcoming week as winter conditions settle in, with most regions falling below freezing on Tuesday morning and snow expected in Jeju Island’s highlands and along the Yellow Sea coast of North Jeolla.

Cold air moving in from the north overnight will drive temperatures down sharply, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday. Daytime highs on Monday and Tuesday will be about 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than Sunday’s mild readings of 15.7 to 22 degrees Celsius, falling well below the seasonal norms of 10 to 16 degrees Celsius.

Morning lows across most of the country are forecast to drop below zero, and strong winds will make it feel even colder, on Tuesday. The day’s lows will range from minus 7 to 5 degrees Celsius and highs from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius. In Seoul, the morning low will fall to minus 3 degrees Celsius with a wind chill near minus 7 Celsius, and the daytime high will reach only 6 degrees Celsius.

The cold spell is expected to continue through Thursday. “The sharp temperature drop calls for attention to personal health, and ice could form particularly in inland Gyeonggi, so extra care is needed in protecting crops,” the agency said.

Light rain may begin along the South Chungcheong and North Jeolla coasts and in Jeju Island from Monday night. On Tuesday, occasional rain or snow is forecast for the South Chungcheong coast, western North Jeolla and Jeju.

Expected rainfall totals from Monday night to Tuesday are 5 to 10 millimeters (0.19 to 0.38 inches) for Jeju, Ulleung Island and Dokdo; around 5 millimeters for the Yellow Sea coast of North Jeolla, southern inland North Jeolla, Gwangju and western South Jeolla; and less than 5 millimeters for the South Chungcheong coast.

Expected snowfall includes 1 to 5 centimeters (0.39 to 1.97 inches) in Jeju’s mountainous areas and around 1 centimeter along the North Jeolla coast, southern inland North Jeolla, Gwangju and central inland South Jeolla.

Areas under high wind advisories, including the east coast of Gangwon and the northeastern mountains of North Gyeongsang, will see very strong gusts over 20 meters (65.6 feet) per second through Monday afternoon.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG JONG-HOON [[email protected]]