[Weekend Weather] Yellow Dust Instead of Cold... Rain or Snow Nationwide

On December 27 last year, when fine dust levels were classified as 'bad,' the urban area viewed from Inwangsan Mountain in Seoul appeared hazy. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] This weekend, yellow dust will arrive instead of cold weather.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 6th, fine dust levels nationwide are forecasted to be 'very bad' on the 7th.

The National Institute of Environmental Research expects fine dust levels to be very bad in the metropolitan area, Chungcheong, Honam, Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongnam on the 7th, while other regions will experience 'bad' levels. Among the areas with bad levels, Gangwon Yeongseo, Ulsan, and Gyeongbuk are expected to see fine dust worsen to very bad levels temporarily in the afternoon.

On the 8th, fine dust levels will be bad nationwide except for Gangwon Yeongdong. In particular, the metropolitan area, Chungcheong, Gwangju, Jeonbuk, and Yeongnam will experience temporarily very bad levels in the morning.

Meanwhile, on Saturday the 7th, rain or snow will fall nationwide in the morning. Heavy snow will accumulate overnight in the central inland and northern inland areas of Gyeongbuk.

Most regions will see rain or snow stop in the morning of the same day, but rain or snow will continue until noon in the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, and snow flurries will occur in the metropolitan area and inland Chungcheong.

Expected snowfall amounts are 3-8 cm in eastern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, northern Chungbuk, and northern inland Gyeongbuk (more than 10 cm in some mountainous areas of Gangwon), 1-5 cm in eastern Seoul, northwestern Gyeonggi, central and southern Chungbuk, eastern Jeonbuk, and mountainous areas of Jeju, and around 1 cm in western Seoul, Incheon, southwestern Gyeonggi, northern Gangwon east coast, inland Chungnam, eastern inland Jeonnam, southern inland Gyeongbuk, and western inland Gyeongnam.