[Tomorrow's Weather] Most of the Country Faces Subzero Cold... Beware of Black Ice

Morning Lows to Range from -13°C to 0°C

On Wednesday the 15th, a severe cold wave will return, with most of the country staying around or below freezing even during the day. There may be patches of black ice on roads during the morning commute, so caution is necessary.

On a morning when the temperature dropped below minus 5 degrees Celsius, commuters dressed in thick clothing are passing through the Sejongno intersection in Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han

Morning low temperatures are expected to range between -13°C and 0°C. As cold air flows in from the northwest, morning temperatures in most areas will be 5 to 10 degrees lower than the previous day. Daytime highs will range from -2°C to 5°C. In the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, temperatures will remain below -5°C even at midday, with most of the country staying around freezing during the day.

Expected low and high temperatures in major cities are: Seoul -6°C to -1°C, Incheon -6°C to -2°C, Daejeon -5°C to 1°C, Gwangju -3°C to 2°C, Daegu -3°C to 3°C, Ulsan -2°C to 3°C, and Busan 0°C to 4°C. Strong winds with gusts around 55 km/h (70 km/h in mountainous areas) will intensify the cold. Strong winds will lower the perceived temperature.

The cold is expected to continue for some time. Particularly, the eastern Gyeonggi region and inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, where cold wave warnings have been reissued, will experience morning temperatures below -12°C (some parts of inland and mountainous Gangwon around -15°C).

In the central region and Honam, where heavy snow has recently accumulated, rain or snow will fall again until the 16th amid the severe cold, causing black ice to form on roads and turning streets into icy surfaces. Side roads, alleys, bridges, overpasses, tunnel entrances, slopes, and shaded roads are especially prone to becoming icy, so drivers should reduce speed and exercise extra caution when passing through these areas.

On the 15th, occasional rain or snow will fall in Jeju. Between dawn and morning, snow will fall in northern inland Chungnam, western Gwangju, western Jeonnam, and western Jeonbuk, with some snow flurries along the Chungnam west coast. On the 16th, occasional rain or snow will fall from dawn to afternoon in Seoul, eastern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam, and Jeju.

Expected snowfall on the 15th and 16th is 1 to 5 cm in eastern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, upper mountainous areas, Chungcheong, Gwangju, western Jeonnam, western Jeonbuk, and Jeju mountains, and around 1 cm in Seoul and other remaining areas.

Strong winds of 30 to 60 km/h (9 to 16 m/s) will blow over the central East Sea offshore and northern outer offshore of the southern East Sea for the time being, with waves rising to 1.5 to 4.0 meters. From the night of the 14th, rough seas with storm warnings will develop in the northern inner offshore of the southern East Sea and central West Sea offshore, spreading to most other offshore areas on the 15th.