[Tomorrow's Weather] Spring Stalls... Bitter Cold Persists After Ipchun

Morning lows will range from -17 to -2 degrees Celsius

Although Ipchun (the first day of spring in the lunar calendar) has passed, the bitter cold will continue on Saturday the 7th. Morning lows are forecast to range from -17 to -2 degrees Celsius, and daytime highs from -5 to 5 degrees Celsius, both below the seasonal averages.

Morning temperatures will be low across most of the country, ranging from -15 to -5 degrees Celsius, and dropping below -15 degrees Celsius in inland northern Gyeonggi and the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon. Strong winds will make it feel even colder. Cold wave advisories or warnings are in effect for the central region excluding the East Coast, the central and northern inland areas and northeastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang, and the eastern part of North Jeolla.

Foreign tourists bundled up in thick coats and winter gear are walking along the street in Myeongdong, Seoul. Yonhap News

There will be many clouds nationwide at first, but the skies will gradually clear from the morning. The East Coast will be mostly cloudy and then gradually clear from the afternoon, while the Chungcheong region, the Jeolla region, and Jeju Island will remain mostly cloudy.

The snow that begins to fall over Jeju Island in the morning will spread from the afternoon to the West Coast of the Jeolla region and the West Coast of South Chungcheong, and from the night to the northern inland areas of Chungcheongnam-do, the central and southern parts of North Chungcheong, the rest of the Jeonnam region, and the southern inland part of North Jeolla. On Jeju Island, there may be raindrops of less than 0.1 millimeters or flurries of less than 0.1 centimeters of snow until dawn. Along the West Coast of the Jeolla region in the morning, and in the southwestern part of Gyeonggi, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and the western inland part of South Gyeongsang at night, there will be places where less than 0.1 centimeters of snow falls as flurries.

Over the three days from the 6th to the 8th, snowfall of 10 to 40 centimeters is forecast for Ulleungdo and Dokdo; 10 to 20 centimeters (more than 30 centimeters in some areas) for the mountainous regions of Jeju Island; 5 to 15 centimeters for the mid-mountain and eastern parts of Jeju; and 3 to 10 centimeters for the coastal areas of Jeju. The expected snowfall from the 7th to the 8th is 3 to 8 centimeters (with more than 10 centimeters in some coastal areas) along the West Coast of North Jeolla, the southern inland part of North Jeolla, and in Gwangju and the western part of South Jeolla; 1 to 3 centimeters in the northeastern part of South Jeolla and along the West Coast of South Chungcheong; around 1 centimeter in Sejong and the northern inland part of South Chungcheong; and less than 1 centimeter in the southern part of North Chungcheong and the southeastern part of South Jeolla. From the 6th to the 7th, about 1 centimeter of snow will fall along the central and southern East Coast of Gangwon and the northern East Coast of North Gyeongsang.

Dry weather advisories or warnings are in effect for Seoul, parts of inland Gyeonggi, the East Coast and mountainous areas of Gangwon, parts of the Chungcheong region, eastern South Jeolla, and the Gyeongsang region. In other areas as well, the air is dry and the winds are strong, so extra caution is advised to prevent forest fires and other types of fires.

Fine dust levels nationwide are expected to remain in the "good" to "moderate" range.