Spring chill hits Korea with heavy snow and rain

South Korea experienced a significant drop in temperatures Sunday, with extreme weather conditions forecast for Tuesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

The KMA expected spring chill temperatures to be observed through Wednesday, with morning lows hovering between minus 1 degree Celsius and minus 2 C, and daytime temperatures between 6 C and 7 C.

The KMA added that along with the dip in temperatures, extreme weather conditions driven by the polar low are anticipated to be observed nationwide from Tuesday.

A polar low is a short-lived, intense and small low-pressure system formed when cold air from the Arctic moves over relatively warm waters. When a polar low is formed, heavy snow or rain, strong winds, and thunder and lightning are observed in areas near the low-pressure system.

From the early hours of Tuesday, as a high-pressure ridge forms over the Ural Mountains, cold Arctic air reaching below minus 40 C will flow into the Korean Peninsula from the West Sea. With sea surface temperatures expected to reach around 10 C at this time, the difference in air and seawater temperatures will create a low-pressure system in the upper layers of the atmosphere. This will then develop into a polar low in the lower parts of the atmosphere.

On Tuesday morning, heavy snow and rain will fall in areas affected by the southwesterly winds flowing into the Korean Peninsula, mainly the western regions.

As the polar low moves inland that day, significant rain or snowfall will begin to be observed nationwide.

As of 11 a.m., Sunday, the KMA predicted the central region, consisting of the Greater Seoul region, Gangwon Province and the North and South Chungcheong provinces, to see 3 to 10 centimeters of snow, while Gangwon Province can expect to see between 5 to 15 cm of snow. If snow does not fall, rainfall ranging between 10 to 30 millimeters may be observed in the same regions.

Up to 30 cm of snow or 30 mm of rainfall may also be observed throughout the day in Gangwon Province’s mountainous regions Tuesday, while southern parts of the peninsula can expect to see 3 to 8 cm of snow or 5 to 10 mm of rainfall.

The KMA added that in areas where heavy snow or rainfall is not observed, strong winds and thunderstorms may be observed. Sleet may also occur in various parts of the country.

However, depending on the route the polar low takes Tuesday as well as its strength and speed, the low pressure system's impact on weather patterns will differ according to region.

As the polar low passes through the Korean Peninsula Tuesday night, temperatures lower than previous years will be observed until Wednesday. As warm westerly winds begin to flow into the country from Thursday, both morning and daytime temperatures will remain above freezing point, with Thursday’s morning and daytime temperatures anticipated to reach 2 C and 14 C respectively.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, snow and rain were observed nationwide, with a heavy snow advisory issued for mountainous regions in Gangwon Province. As of 11 a.m., 8.2 centimeters of collective snowfall was observed in Hwacheon, while Cheorwon and Hongcheon saw 6.7 cm and 5.9 cm of collective snowfall, respectively.

The KMA added that snow or rain could be observed in the Greater Seoul region of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as the North and South Chungcheong provinces through Sunday afternoon, while the northeastern coast of North Gyeongsang Province may experience such weather conditions until Sunday evening. Greater Seoul could also expect more rain or snowfall from Sunday evening into Monday.