Cold snap to peak on Tuesday, but temps expected to rebound on Wednesday

A cold wave swept across Korea on Monday, marking the season's first cold weather alert. Temperatures are forecast to drop even further on Tuesday, when the cold snap is expected to peak.

People walk in thick coats in Jongno District, central Seoul on Oct. 27. [NEWS1]

A cold wave swept across Korea on Monday, marking the season's first cold weather alert. Temperatures are forecast to drop even further on Tuesday, when the cold snap is expected to peak.

Cold air descending from the north caused temperatures to fall by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) across central regions compared to Sunday, with many areas recording their lowest temperatures of the fall so far, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

In Seoul, the morning temperature dropped to 3.7 degrees Celsius — more than 4 degrees Celsius below average. Parts of the capital region saw subzero temperatures, with Paju, Gyeonggi recording minus 0.6 degrees. Mount Seorak in Gangwon recorded minus 5.4 degrees, the lowest nationwide.

The KMA issued cold wave advisories for Gyeonggi, northern Gangwon and inland areas of North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang. This was the first such advisory issued this fall.

A cold wave advisory is issued when the morning low drops by more than 10 degrees Celsius from the previous day, falls below 3 degrees, and is at least 3 degrees lower than the seasonal average.

Seoul’s daytime high only reached 11 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, and strong winds made it feel even colder. The rapid drop in temperatures has also accelerated the progression of fall foliage.

People walk in thick coats in Jongno District, central Seoul on Oct. 27. [NEWS1]

According to seasonal data from the KMA, peak foliage was observed on Mount Seorak on Friday, with the first signs of color also appearing in some southern mountain ranges such as Mount Gayasan in South Gyeongsang.

The mercury is expected to fall another 1 to 3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning as radiative cooling intensifies overnight under clear skies and a continued inflow of cold air.

In Seoul, the morning low is forecast to reach 2 degrees Celsius, and areas in northern Gyeonggi, such as Yangju, could fall to minus 3 degrees. Southern inland areas, including Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang, are also expected to experience subzero conditions.

The KMA issued additional cold wave advisories for Daegu's Gunwi County and other parts of North Gyeongsang, effective from Monday night.

Temperatures are forecast to rebound from Wednesday afternoon.

“There may be frost or ice across inland areas through Wednesday,” a KMA official said. “From Tuesday, the temperature gap between day and night will widen to around 10 degrees Celsius, so people should take extra care of their health during the seasonal transition.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHON KWON-PIL [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]