March 4, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea was hit by heavy rain and snow from Sunday night to Monday, causing travel disruptions and safety concerns, with more snow and rain forecast nationwide starting Tuesday morning.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heavy snow was observed overnight in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong provinces.
Monday’s heavy snowfall resulted in several accidents in different parts of the country, though no injuries or deaths were reported as of 11 a.m. Four reports were made to officials regarding stranded vehicles, leading to the rescue of 10 people. Eleven traffic accidents were also reported and 51 additional safety reports were made to officials regarding accumulated snow.
As of 11 a.m., 53 ferry services were canceled and 10 flights were grounded. Thirteen national parks remain closed to the public while 13 roads have been closed off to prevent further safety incidents.
In Gangwon Province, as many as 23 reports were made to authorities between Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday regarding traffic accidents and other safety issues, according to Gangwon Fire Headquarters. In Gangwon Province alone, a total of 18 people were rescued and transported to medical facilities between Sunday and Monday morning.
Much of Gangwon Province had 10-30 cm of snow, with mountainous areas the worst hit, reporting up to 49.6 cm as of Monday at 6 a.m. Eastern Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, and northern North Gyeongsang saw 5-15 cm, while Uljin-gun and Mungyeong received 24 cm and 15.6 cm, respectively.
Areas without snow saw rain, with Seoul receiving 22 mm, Hwaseong and Chungju 35 mm, and mountainous parts of Jeju up to 82 mm as of 6 a.m. Monday.
Most of the central regions lifted their heavy snow advisories as of 11 a.m. Monday, but advisories remained in place in North Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan, where snow continued to fall at 1 cm per hour. Advisories in Korea are issued when more than 5 cm of snow is forecast to fall in 24 hours.
As of 4 p.m., Monday, a preliminary heavy snow advisory had been issued in Gangwon Province, North and South Chungcheong Provinces, North and South Gyeongsang Provinces as well as southern parts of Gyeonggi Province, where 8-10 cm of snowfall is expected. The hardest-hit areas in Gangwon Province can expect to see 30 cm to 40 cm of snow.
Temperatures plunge after rain, snow
Rain clouds are expected to form and move toward the Korean Peninsula again from Tuesday morning, according to the KMA.
“As cold air moves toward the Korean Peninsula and the low pressure system approaches (Korea) from the south, rain clouds are expected to form, leading to nationwide rain or snow,” said KMA official Woo Jin-kyu during a press briefing held Sunday.
Woo added that heavy rain or snow can be expected to mainly fall around the central and southern parts of Korea, with mountainous regions in Gangwon Province, North Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island forecast to see rainfall of up to 40 mm on Tuesday.
Cities such as Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and Ulsan may see up to 30 mm of rainfall, while southern parts of Gyeonggi Province as well as Incheon and Seoul can expect to see rainfall of between 5 mm and 10 mm.
Depending on temperatures, snow may fall instead, with mountainous regions in Gangwon Province expected to get 10 cm to 30 cm of snow while Seoul and Incheon are expected to see up to 5 cm of snow.
The precipitation is expected to stop as the low pressure system moves toward Kyushu, Japan, Tuesday night. However, due to cold air brought into mountainous parts of Gangwon Province by northeasterly winds, some regions can expect to see as much as 100 cm of snow through Wednesday.
Though Korea recorded warmer-than-average temperatures in recent days, the KMA added that a sharp drop in temperatures can also be expected starting Tuesday, as cold air moves into the peninsula from the north.
On Tuesday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 5 degrees Celsius and 4 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 2 C and 8 C.
On Wednesday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 3 C and 5 C while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 4 C and 12 C. While the highs are expected to increase slightly from Wednesday, it will likely feel a lot colder, with winds of 55 to 70 kilometers per hour dropping the wind chill significantly.