Most of the country to have snow until afternoon on Seollal... Subzero temperatures and strong winds expected

As Accumulated Snow Freezes, Risks Increase...
Precautions Needed

On the 28th, the day before Lunar New Year's Day, vehicles are moving slowly near Osan IC on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Osan City, Gyeonggi Province, where a heavy snow warning is in effect. Yonhap News

Snow is expected to continue falling until midday on the 29th, Lunar New Year's Day, across most regions nationwide. With temperatures dropping, the accumulated snow is unlikely to melt, raising concerns about worsening conditions.

As of 4 p.m. on the 28th, heavy snow warnings remain in effect for areas including southwestern Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Honam, Gyeongsang, inland regions, and Jeju, where snowfall rates of about 1 to 4 cm per hour are occurring. On Jeju's Hallasan Mountain, particularly at Samgakbong and Sajebi, approximately 130 cm of snow has already accumulated, reaching the height of lower elementary school students.

Snow accumulation around 40 cm has been reported in places such as Hyangrobong in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province; Anheung-myeon in Hoengseong-gun; Deogyusan in Muju-gun, Jeonbuk; and Geumwang-eup in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk.

Areas like Seokpo-myeon in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk; Susan-myeon in Jecheon-si, Chungbuk; and Bongpyeong-myeon in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon, have currently accumulated around 30 cm of snow. Snow accumulation in Anseong-si and Pyeongtaek-si in Gyeonggi, as well as Danyang-gun in Chungbuk, is about 25 cm.

In Seoul, the snow depth measured at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno-gu is 2.1 cm. However, some districts have seen more accumulation, such as 13.7 cm in Gwanak-gu and 7.1 cm in Gangbuk-gu.

Snowfall (or snow or rain in Jeju) is expected to continue intermittently until midday on the 29th in southern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam, western and northeastern inland Gyeongbuk, western inland Gyeongnam, and Jeju.

Other regions are expected to see light snow flurries until nighttime on the 28th (in Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi, and the east coast) or until midday on the 29th (in the Yeongnam region excluding western inland Gyeongbuk).

Additional snowfall expected by the 29th is highest in Jeju's mountainous areas at 5 to 15 cm. Chungcheong and Honam (excluding the eastern part of Jeonnam and the southern coast) are expected to accumulate 5 to 10 cm. The Chungnam area and Jeonbuk may see up to 15 cm of additional snowfall. Other regions, except for Jeju's mid-mountain areas (3 to 8 cm) and central inland Daegu and Gyeongbuk (around 1 cm), are expected to receive 1 to 5 cm more snow. Chungcheong, Honam, and Jeju could experience heavy snowfall rates of 1 to 3 cm per hour until the morning of the 29th.

(Hoengseong=Yonhap News) On the 28th, heavy snow continued for the second day in Sosari, Anheung-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. 2025.1.28

The fact that the accumulated snow is not melting is also problematic. Currently, cold wave warnings are in effect for northern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, central and northern Chungbuk, northern inland Gyeongbuk, and northeastern mountainous Gyeongbuk. Morning temperatures are expected to remain below minus 12 degrees Celsius (around minus 15 degrees in inland and mountainous Gangwon) for the foreseeable future. The central region, eastern Jeonbuk, and northern inland Gyeongbuk are also expected to have daytime temperatures staying below freezing for some time.

Nationwide, the lowest temperatures on the morning of the 29th are forecasted to range from minus 13 to minus 1 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs between minus 5 and 6 degrees Celsius.

Seoul is expected to range from minus 7 to minus 1 degrees, Incheon from minus 6 to minus 1 degrees, Daejeon from minus 6 to 1 degree, Gwangju and Daegu from minus 3 to 3 degrees, Ulsan from minus 2 to 3 degrees, and Busan from minus 2 to 5 degrees Celsius.

With low temperatures combined with strong gusts of wind around 55 km/h (15 m/s), the wind chill factor will make it feel even colder.

Strong wind warnings have been issued for coastal and mountainous areas nationwide, parts of Chungbuk, and Jeju. Gusts are expected to exceed 70 km/h (90 km/h in mountainous areas) until the 29th (and the 30th for the eastern coast and mountains of Gangwon), so precautions are necessary.

Winds blowing at 30 to 60 km/h are expected until the 29th in the West Sea, western offshore areas of the South Sea, the East Sea nearshore, offshore areas near Busan and Ulsan, and offshore areas near Jeju (excluding the southern offshore). Winds will continue until the 30th in the eastern offshore areas of the South Sea and southern offshore areas near Jeju, and until the 31st in the offshore East Sea. Wave heights are expected to reach 1.5 to 4.0 meters. Wave heights in the offshore West Sea, western offshore areas of the South Sea, outer offshore areas of the eastern South Sea, central offshore East Sea, outer offshore southern East Sea, and Jeju waters may exceed 5.0 meters.