[Tomorrow's Weather] The Strongest Cold Wave of This Winter on the Last Day of Seollal Holiday... Feels Like -23°C

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] On the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the perceived temperature is expected to drop to minus 23 degrees Celsius on the 24th.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cold air will descend from the northwest starting the night of the 23rd, causing temperatures to fall sharply. The KMA forecasted this to be the coldest weather so far this year. Starting at 9 p.m., a cold wave warning and cold wave advisory will be issued for Seoul and Busan respectively, with cold wave alerts expected to be in effect across the country. A 'cold wave warning' is issued when the morning minimum temperature remains below minus 15 degrees Celsius for two or more days or when temperatures drop rapidly causing significant damage. A 'cold wave advisory' is issued when temperatures are below minus 12 degrees Celsius but higher than the warning threshold.

Status of weather advisories in effect as of 9 PM on the 23rd.
[Photo by Korea Meteorological Administration]

The morning minimum temperature on the 24th is expected to range between minus 23 degrees and minus 6 degrees nationwide. However, due to strong winds, the perceived temperature will be about 10 degrees lower than the actual temperature.

Heavy snowfall is also forecast mainly for Honam and Jeju. Cold air moving southward from the northwest will meet relatively warm air over the West Sea, forming snow clouds that will bring heavy snow. Snow will begin late at night on the 23rd in the Jeju mountain area and expand to Jeju, Honam, and the Chungnam West Coast by dawn on the 24th. Most snow will cease by the night of the 24th, but the Chungnam West Coast will see snow until early morning on the 24th, the Jeolla West Coast until the morning of the 25th, and Jeju until daytime on the 25th.

The total snowfall over the two days from the 24th to the 25th is expected to be 30 to 50 cm (with some areas exceeding 70 cm) in the Jeju mountain area, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo; 5 to 20 cm (with some areas exceeding 30 cm in the Jeolla West Coast and mid-mountain areas of Jeju) in western Jeonbuk, Jeonnam (excluding the eastern southern coast), Jeju (excluding mountain areas), and the five West Sea islands; 1 to 5 cm in the Chungnam West Coast, eastern Jeonbuk, and eastern Jeonnam southern coast; and around 1 cm in the northern inland area of Chungnam.