Korea faces most severe cold wave of winter

Korea is facing its most severe cold wave of the winter, with temperatures expected to remain dangerously low through the weekend. On Saturday, some parts of Seoul may see temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Icicles hang from trees near Han River in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Dec. 26. [YONHAP]

Korea is facing its most severe cold wave of the winter, with temperatures expected to remain dangerously low through the weekend. On Saturday, the apparent temperature in some parts of the greater Seoul area could drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). Seoul’s morning low is forecast to be minus 11 degrees Celsius.

Light snow or rain is also expected in central regions over the weekend.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), cold air from the northwest pushed temperatures across the country to new winter lows on Friday. Seoul recorded a morning low of minus 11.8 degrees Celsius, with a wind chill of minus 18.6 degrees Celsius.

The extreme cold persisted throughout the day, with daytime wind chills hovering around minus 10 degrees Celsius in the metropolitan area. Cold wave warnings have been in place in Gyeonggi, northern Gangwon and Jecheon, North Chungcheong, since Thursday night.

People walk at the Sejong-daero intersection in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on the morning of Dec. 26, as a cold wave warning remains in effect. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The KMA forecasts that the frigid weather will continue until Saturday morning, with temperatures 2 to 7 degrees Celsius lower than seasonal norms nationwide. In northern Gyeonggi, morning lows could hit minus 15 degrees Celsius, and wind chills in some areas, including Paju, are expected to drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

However, the cold snap is expected to ease throughout the weekend as warmer westerly winds move in. Daytime temperatures across most of the country, including Seoul, are projected to rise above freezing on Saturday, and by Sunday, morning lows will range from minus 6 to 2 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs reaching 2 to 12 degrees Celsius.

While the southwestern coast and Jeju Island were hit with heavy snowfall through Friday, the central region will likely see light precipitation on Saturday. Light snow or drizzle is forecast for Incheon, southern Gyeonggi, southern Gangwon and the Chungcheong region. In Seoul and other areas of the capital region, light flurries under 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) may occur.

On Sunday, light winter rain of under 1 millimeter is forecast for the Seoul metropolitan area and the northwestern coast of South Chungcheong in the afternoon. Gangwon’s inland and mountainous regions could see around 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) of snow accumulation.

The KMA has also warned that since rain or snow could freeze overnight and create black ice, both drivers and pedestrians should be extra careful.

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 [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]