Snow, icy roads and freezing cold are in store for the coming Lunar New Year holidays, as millions are expected to hit the road to spend the holidays with family in their hometowns.

The eastern province of Gangwon will be blanked with snow throughout the weekend, while most parts of the country will remain dry with cloudy skies.

The Korea Meteorological Administration has issued a heavy snow alert Friday for mountainous areas in Gangwon, predicting as much as 30 centimeters of snowfalls through Sunday.

A cold front is projected to move into the Korean Peninsula around Sunday and continue through the end of the holidays on Jan. 24.

“A cold front will grip most parts of the Korean Peninsula from Sunday on, dropping temperatures far below the seasonal norm,” the weather agency said.

“The mercury is likely to hover below zero even during the daytime. It is advisable that those in weak health take extra care during this cold spell.”

Nearly 31 million Koreans are expected to visit their hometowns for this year’s holidays, causing heavy traffic on major highways. Authorities urged drivers to take extra caution on slippery roads near mountainous and coastal areas.

The cold snap will reach its nadir on the New Year’s Day, which falls on Jan. 23, with temperatures dropping to minus-10 degrees Celsius in Seoul.

The Jeolla provinces are forecast to receive snow on Monday and Tuesday.

The cold spell is likely to continue until later next week.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)