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Heavy snow expected across Korea from Sunday night to Monday

Published: 01 Feb. 2026, 15:35

Heavy snow falls at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 23. [NEWS1]

Heavy snow of up to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) will fall across much of Korea, including the Seoul metropolitan area, from Sunday night through Monday morning.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued a Level 2 snowfall response on Sunday and began emergency snow removal operations, using snowfall-forecast CCTV systems installed in five areas along the west coast — Munsan, Ganghwa, Incheon, Yeongheung and Ujeong — to track snow cloud movement in real time and preemptively spread deicing agents on roads.

Authorities warned of icy roads and possible disruptions to the morning commute.

"Snow will fall across most regions nationwide from Sunday night through Monday morning under the influence of a trough," said Lee Chang-jae, a forecast analyst at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), during a briefing on Sunday. “Preparations are necessary for heavy snowfall at the level of a snow advisory."

A trough is a stretched zone of relatively low air pressure that moves through the atmosphere and triggers widespread precipitation, such as snow, by lifting warm, moist air over colder air.

Cold air moving south in the upper atmosphere will collide with warm westerly winds over the Yellow Sea, causing snow clouds to develop strongly and rise to about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles).

Snow will begin in the central region, including Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gangwon, on Sunday night and spread nationwide overnight, largely stopping by Monday morning.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, heavy snow will concentrate from Sunday night through the early hours of Monday, with snowfall rates of 1 to 3 centimeters per hour. Some areas could see more than 5 centimeters of snow per hour.

As the snow cloud band moves south, heavy snow will reach the Chungcheong region in the early hours of Monday and spread to southern regions from morning to late morning.

Heavy snow falls at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 23. [NEWS1]

Forecast snowfall totals range from 3 to 10 centimeters in the Seoul metropolitan area and 5 to 10 centimeters in Gangwon, with up to 15 centimeters expected in mountainous areas. Chungcheong will likely see 3 to 8 centimeters, while North Jeolla and the western parts of Gyeongsang will see 2 to 7 centimeters.

“Visibility will drop sharply in areas with snowfall, and many roads will turn icy as snow accumulates and freezes,” the KMA said. “Drivers should check traffic conditions in advance and prepare winter equipment to prevent vehicles from becoming stranded."

Morning temperatures in Seoul will fall to minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, while some parts of the Seoul metropolitan area will see temperatures drop to minus 9 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures will rise from Tuesday and return to the seasonal average after the snow stops. Cold air from the north will move south again over the weekend, bringing another cold spell with temperatures around minus 10 degrees Celsius.

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 CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]