Winter, already? Cold wave interrupts autumn weather as mercury drops nationwide.

An early cold wave swept across the country on Tuesday, bringing the season’s first frost and ice to many regions, including Seoul. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the brief cold spell is expected to last through Wednesday.

Commuters cross a street near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Oct. 28, as morning temperatures dropped further than the previous day, bringing an early taste of winter. [YONHAP]

An early cold wave swept across the country on Tuesday, bringing the season’s first frost and ice to many regions, including Seoul. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the brief cold spell is expected to last through Wednesday before temperatures gradually return to normal.

According to the KMA, “Cold air from the north moved south, and clear skies overnight led to strong cooling, dropping morning temperatures by 1 to 8 degrees Celsius [2 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit] compared to Monday.”

It added that “frost and ice were observed for the first time this autumn in the central regions and parts of North Gyeongsang.”

In Seoul, the first ice appeared 10 days earlier than last year and six days earlier than average, while the first frost came nine days earlier than last year, matching the long-term average. North Gangneung in Gangwon reported frost and ice 22 to 30 days earlier than last year.

Morning temperatures fell to around 3 degrees Celsius in Seoul, minus 3.1 degrees in Paju and minus 3.7 degrees in Cheorwon, all well below seasonal norms.

Daytime highs on Tuesday are expected to rise to 11 to 18 degrees, with Seoul reaching around 12 degrees. Cold wave advisories issued for parts of North Gyeongsang Province have since been lifted.

The chill will continue into Wednesday morning, when temperatures are expected to plunge again to between 1 and 9 degrees nationwide. In Seoul, the morning low will be slightly higher than Tuesday’s but will still feel cold, at around 4 degrees with wind chill.

A KMA official warned of wide temperature swings of up to 15 degrees between day and night through Thursday, urging people to take precautions against sudden temperature changes.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said on Oct. 28 that Seoul recorded its first frost and ice of the season at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Songwol-dong, Jongno District. [KMA]

Temperatures are forecast to climb starting Thursday, returning to seasonal averages. Morning lows in Seoul will rise to 9 degrees on Thursday and 10 degrees on Friday, with daytime highs nearing 18 degrees — signaling a return to autumn conditions.

However, rain is expected heading into the weekend. Showers will begin late Friday in the Seoul metropolitan area and will spread nationwide through Saturday.

The KMA said, “A low-pressure trough will bring mostly cloudy skies and rain over the Seoul area, inland Gangwon, the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions and Jeju on Saturday morning.”

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 [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]