[Weather] Severe Cold Nationwide on the Last Day of the Year... Morning Lows Down to -12 Degrees

On Wednesday, December 31, the last day of 2025, the severe cold will continue.

On the 26th, when the temperature dropped sharply and severe cold below freezing was observed, citizens passing through Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, hurried their steps. 2025.12.26 Photo by Yoon Dongju

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the morning low will range from -12 to 0 degrees Celsius, and the daytime high will range from -5 to 5 degrees Celsius. This is about 5 degrees lower than the seasonal averages (morning lows of -12 to 0 degrees and daytime highs of 1 to 9 degrees).

The minimum temperatures in major regions as of 6 a.m. are expected to be ▲Seoul -5.7 degrees ▲Incheon -6 degrees ▲Chuncheon -8.5 degrees ▲Gangneung -3.2 degrees ▲Daejeon -3.1 degrees ▲Daegu -0.9 degrees ▲Jeonju -1.6 degrees ▲Gwangju 0 degrees ▲Busan 1.1 degrees ▲Jeju 6.3 degrees.

Strong winds will make it feel even colder. In Seoul, the wind chill is expected to drop to -14 degrees.

Snow will continue on the west coast of South Chungcheong Province until dawn and on the west coast of Jeolla Province until the morning. From late at night, snow flurries are also expected in southwestern Gyeonggi Province and inland areas of South Chungcheong Province. The expected snowfall is less than 1 centimeter. In areas where snow falls, visibility will be low and roads may be slippery, so extra caution is advised for both drivers and pedestrians.

Waves in the East and West coastal waters are expected to be 0.5 to 2.0 meters high, and 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the South coastal waters. In the offshore areas (about 200 kilometers from the coastline), wave heights are expected to be 1.5 to 4.0 meters in the East Sea, 0.5 to 3.5 meters in the West Sea, and 0.5 to 2.5 meters in the South Sea.

Fine dust levels will remain 'good' across all regions due to the inflow of clean northwesterly air and smooth atmospheric dispersion.