As the cold wave persists, the Han River froze for the first time this winter.
The Korea Meteorological Administration said on the 3rd that the Han River had frozen. This is about a week earlier than the average year (Jan. 10 for the Han River freeze date). It is 37 days earlier than last winter (Feb. 9), when it was relatively mild at the coldest time but a prolonged cold wave continued from Ipchun (the start of spring).
Han River freezing refers to when a virtual rectangular zone set 100 meters upstream between the second and fourth piers of Hangang Bridge, which connects Dongjak District and Yongsan District in Seoul, is completely covered by ice so that the river water is not visible.
Typically, the Han River freezes when a cold spell occurs at a level where the minimum temperature in Seoul stays at 10 degrees below zero or lower for five or more days, and the daily high remains below zero.
Looking at the minimum and maximum temperatures in Seoul over the past five days (based on the Jongno District Seoul Weather Observatory), they were -0.1 degrees and 9.1 degrees on Dec. 29 last year, -3.7 degrees and 3.8 degrees on Dec. 30, and -8.9 degrees and -1.2 degrees on Dec. 31.
So far this year, on Jan. 1 the minimum and maximum were -10.5 degrees and -2.1 degrees, and on Jan. 2 they were -11.4 degrees and -3.8 degrees. On this day, the temperature fell to -9.8 degrees.
Observation of Han River freezing began in 1906. The earliest year the Han River froze was 1934, with freezing observed on Dec. 4. The latest it froze was in 1964, on Feb. 13.
There were nine years when freezing was not observed: 1960, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1988, 1991, 2006, 2019 and 2021.