This winter, the coldest cold wave is expected to hit the Korean Peninsula. The Korea Meteorological Administration announced on the 9th that the lowest temperature on the morning of the 10th will drop to minus 21 degrees. Snow will fall mainly in the mountainous areas of South Chungcheong, Honam, and Jeju, accumulating up to 15 to 30 centimeters on that day.
The surrounding atmospheric pressure systems of the Korean Peninsula are showing a west-high, east-low pattern. A continental high-pressure system is rotating clockwise from the west, while a low-pressure system is rotating counterclockwise from the northeast, bringing cold northwesterly winds to the Korean Peninsula. The cold air passed over the relatively warm Yellow Sea and created clouds that brought snow.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the cold will peak on the 10th, subside around the 12th, and return again in mid-month. This is because the upper atmospheric pressure trough will move eastward, temporarily reducing the inflow of cold air. The lowest morning temperatures are forecasted to be minus 21 degrees on the 10th, minus 5 degrees on the 11th, minus 18 degrees on the 12th, and ranging from minus 13 degrees to plus 3 degrees from the 13th to the 19th.
Snow is expected to fall in areas such as South Chungcheong, Honam, and Jeju until the 10th. Mountainous areas in Jeju could see up to 30 centimeters of snow, while Ulleungdo and Dokdo may receive 5 to 20 centimeters. The expected snowfall amounts are 20 centimeters on the west coast of North Jeolla and 20 centimeters in southern inland areas of North Jeolla, 5 to 15 centimeters in other regions of North Jeolla, 5 to 10 centimeters in Gwangju, Jeonnam, and South Chungcheong (maximum 15 centimeters), 1 to 5 centimeters along the Jeju coast, in Daejeon, Sejong, and on the west coast of South Chungcheong, and 1 centimeter in southern Chungbuk, western Gyeongnam, and southwestern inland areas of Gyeongbuk. Some regions may see heavy snowfall of 3 to 5 centimeters per hour, so caution should be taken for safety.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, as of 11 a.m. on that day, 27 flights and 73 passenger ships (60 routes) were canceled. Ten regional roads in South Chungcheong, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam were controlled, and 197 hiking trails in eight national parks, including Mudeungsan and Jirisan, were closed. The KTX train service is operating at a reduced speed. The fire department conducted a total of five safety measures and eight rescue operations but reported no recorded damages.