Cold Spell Grips Korea on New Year’s Day

The nation will suffer a cold spell on New Year’s Day. The morning temperatures are forecasted to drop to minus eight degrees Celsius, the coldest recorded this season.

Jeolla provinces, which saw the most snow yesterday with Jeongeup in North Jeolla receiving 38.7 millimeter’s of snow, is expected to receive 10 more centimeters until Tuesday night, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Kim Seung-bae, a weather forecaster at the Korea Meteorological Administration, said, “Heavy-snow warnings were lowered by one notch. More snow is expected to fall, but the amount will be not as much as the amount that fell recently.”

Jeolla areas, excluding south coasts, and mountainous areas in Jeju are expected to have three to 10 centimeters of snow, with west coasts in South Chungcheong, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo having two to five centimeters of snow. Inland areas of Chungcheong provinces, the south coast of S. Jeolla Province, and Jeju (excluding mountainous areas), and the five islands in the West Sea are expected to have one to three centimeters of snow until tonight.

Heavy snow in Jeolla Province that continued for three consecutive days blocked roads and caused the suspension of flight and ferry operations.

But the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that New Year’s Day would be clear, excluding some regions on the west coast, and that people would have no problem watching the sun rising.

However, frigid weather is forecast for today with Seoul to reach minus eight degrees Celsius and Daegwallyeong to reach minus 15 degrees Celsius. “Cold and strong winds will make people feel more cold,” said officials at the Korea Meteorological Administration as they asked the public to stay indoors.

Cold temperatures are expected to continue into tomorrow, with Seoul expected to see six degrees Celsius temperatures, and Daegwallyeong expected to see minus 14 degrees Celsius temperatures. But in the afternoon, temperatures are expected to recover to average annual temperature levels.

In the meantime, on Saturday morning, areas in Gangwon Province, including Sokcho, Gangneung, Yeongwol, and Daegwallyeong, witnessed a heavy yellow dust storm that recorded a level of 100 to 200 μg /m3.

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