South Korea issued its first heavy snow advisory of the autumn season Sunday evening for the mountainous areas of Inje in Gangwon Province.
The Korea Meteorological Administration issued the advisory at 7 p.m., warning that more snow could accumulate overnight at higher elevations.
A heavy snow advisory is issued when snowfall is expected to reach at least 5 centimeters within 24 hours.
As of 7 p.m., Mount Seorak had recorded 3.9 centimeters of snow, followed by 2.6 centimeters in Imnam, Cheorwon, 2.1 centimeters on Mount Hyangnobong and 1.8 centimeters on Mount Gwangdeok.
The weather agency forecast an additional 1 to 5 centimeters of snow in mountainous areas overnight, warning that falling temperatures could cause rain and snow to freeze on roads, creating slippery conditions.
The advisory came as Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season earlier Sunday, 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average.
The first snow was officially observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District, where even light flurries count as the season's first snowfall, regardless of whether snow accumulates.
Chilly weather is expected to continue Monday, with mostly cloudy skies nationwide and rain forecast across southern regions and Jeju Island, according to the KMA.
Morning lows are forecast to range from 2 to 11 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs reaching 11 to 15 degrees, compared with the seasonal average of 13 to 19 degrees for daytime temperatures.
Temperatures could fall below freezing in inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province on Monday morning and in central inland regions and eastern North Jeolla Province on Tuesday.
The weather agency also warned of sharp temperature swings of 10 to 15 degrees between daytime and nighttime in most regions.
Temperatures in Seoul are expected to range from 4 to 13 degrees Monday, compared with 4 to 11 degrees in Incheon, 6 to 13 degrees in Daejeon and Daegu, 9 to 12 degrees in Gwangju, 9 to 14 degrees in Ulsan and 11 to 15 degrees in Busan.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
