Snowfall Amounts: Jongno 0.1cm, Seocho 1.5cm... Snow Removal Completed by Dawn
Strong Snow in Some Areas This Afternoon... Seoul City Maintains Emergency Duty Level 2
On the 18th, when heavy snow was forecasted in the metropolitan area, citizens were moving while being hit by falling snow in Sejong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "I woke up early and hurried because I heard it would snow heavily overnight, so I ended up going to work two hours earlier than usual."
Although heavy snow fell mainly in the central region overnight, the snow cloud shifted slightly southward, bypassing Seoul. As a result, there was no feared commuting chaos in Seoul on the morning of the 18th.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that as of 7 a.m. that day, about 9,000 workers, 1,000 snow removal vehicles, and 2,000 tons of snow removal materials were deployed to carry out snow removal operations on most main roads in the city. While there were some snow flurries in certain areas from the previous night to early morning, the snowfall was minimal?0.1 cm in Jongno-gu and 1.5 cm in Seocho-gu?less than expected, and the temperature was mild, so there was no accumulation or road icing.
A city official explained, "Snow removal on major roads has been completed, and all accumulated snow overnight has been cleared. There is no disruption to vehicle traffic."
An office worker A, who commuted from Magok to Gwanghwamun in Seoul, said, "Because I struggled during the heavy snow two weeks ago on the way home, I left an hour earlier than usual, but there was only snow around the apartment complex near my house, and the main roads and city streets were all as usual. It's fortunate that there is no traffic congestion, but it's disappointing that the forecast was not accurate."
Following the snowfall forecast, the city issued a "Snow Removal Emergency Work Level 2" starting at 6 p.m. on the 17th and carried out snow removal operations, including preemptively spreading de-icing agents on major city roads and vulnerable points.
Also, to prepare for Monday morning rush hour congestion, the city extended the concentrated public transportation dispatch hours from the usual 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., increasing the frequency of subway and city bus operations. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters also sent advisory text messages to citizens from the afternoon of the previous day, urging the use of public transportation due to the heavy snow.
However, contrary to the Korea Meteorological Administration's snow forecast, snowfall in Seoul was limited to flurries until the morning of the 18th. With snow expected again from daytime, the emergency work Level 2 system, issued from 6 p.m. the previous day, remains in effect.
The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that until the morning, snow in Seoul was intermittent or light, but strong snow is expected again from daytime in different regions. At 6 a.m., a heavy snow advisory was issued for northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern Seoul, as well as Guri and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province.
Nationwide, as of 8 a.m., snowfall amounts recorded were 16.5 cm in Hongcheon (Guryongryong), Gangwon Province; 10.7 cm in Bonghwa (Seokpo), Gyeongsang Province; 10.8 cm in Gochang-gun, Jeolla Province; and 9.5 cm in Gimje (Jinbong). In the Seoul metropolitan area, Anseong received 7.1 cm, Yangju 4.7 cm, and Suwon 2.5 cm of snow. Currently, snow is falling in the central region, western inland Gyeongsang, and Jeolla areas, with some regions experiencing a lull. Snow is expected to mostly stop after 3 p.m. today.
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