[Weather Tomorrow] Dense Fog on the Morning Commute... Temperatures Near Seasonal Average, Subzero in the Morning

On the morning of the 18th, commuters can expect thick fog.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from early morning until late morning on the 18th, dense fog will reduce visibility to less than 200 meters in the inland areas of Gangwon and Honam. In other regions, fog is expected to reduce visibility to less than 1 kilometer.

A thick fog covers the cityscape viewed from Namsan, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The Korea Meteorological Administration stated, "Fog will be even denser in areas near rivers, lakes, and valleys," and added, "In regions with low temperatures, fog may freeze on the ground, creating icy roads or patches of black ice, so caution is advised."

Fine dust levels are expected to remain at 'good' or 'moderate' levels nationwide. However, in Seoul and Gyeonggi, levels will be 'bad' until dawn, and in Gangwon Yeongseo, Chungbuk, and Yeongnam, 'bad' levels will persist until the morning.

On the 18th, temperatures will remain higher than the seasonal average, but morning lows are expected to drop below zero. Compared to the 17th, morning temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees lower in just one day, so extra caution is needed.

The nationwide morning low temperatures are expected to range from -6 to 4 degrees Celsius, and the daytime highs from 5 to 14 degrees Celsius. The forecasted minimum and maximum temperatures for major cities are: Seoul, -2 and 7 degrees; Incheon, -2 and 6 degrees; Daejeon, -3 and 9 degrees; Gwangju, 0 and 11 degrees; Daegu, -1 and 11 degrees; Ulsan, 1 and 13 degrees; and Busan, 4 and 14 degrees.

Swell waves will move into the east coast, bringing strong, high waves. In the central East Sea, strong winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour (9 to 16 meters per second) and waves of 1.5 to 3.5 meters are expected until the night of the 17th, and in the northern part of the southern East Sea, these conditions will persist until early morning on the 18th. Therefore, caution is required for navigation or fishing operations.