A lot of snow is expected nationwide this weekend. On the 12th, the Gangwon and North Gyeongsang east coasts will be affected, and on the 13th, centered on the central region, amounts on par with heavy-snow alerts are expected. On the 14th, rain and snow are expected along the west coasts of South Chungcheong and the Jeolla provinces.

At a regular briefing on the morning of the 11th, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast that on the 12th, under easterly winds blowing along the edge of a high-pressure system, rain or snow will fall over the Gangwon east coast and mountains and the North Gyeongsang east coast and northeastern mountains. With snowfall rates of 1~3㎝ per hour, accumulations are expected to reach 3~8㎝ in Gangwon, 1~5㎝ in North Gyeongsang, and over 10㎝ in some mountainous areas. As the snow is expected to be heavy and wet, care is needed to prevent facilities such as vinyl greenhouses from collapsing.

As the high pressure that scattered snow along the east coast retreats and a trough passes, snow or rain is expected nationwide from the morning through the night on the 13th. The KMA expects snowfall at heavy-snow alert levels especially across the central region. Forecast analyst Gong Sang-min explained, “Whereas on the 4th the snow fell very intensely for a short 30 minutes to an hour, this time strong snow will continue for a long period.”

Accumulation is expected to vary greatly by region and elevation depending on temperatures. In the central region on the 13th, temperatures are expected to be 0~2 degrees, so it will begin as rain or a rain-snow mix and then turn to snow in the afternoon as temperatures drop. If rain wets the ground first and then snow falls, less may accumulate than the snowfall amount would suggest.

For the 13th, the KMA expects roughly 5∼10㎝ in interior and mountainous Gangwon; 3∼8㎝ in northern Gyeonggi, southeastern Gyeonggi, central North Chungcheong, and northern North Chungcheong; 1∼5㎝ in Seoul, Incheon, southwestern Gyeonggi, the five West Sea islands, northern inland North Gyeongsang, the northeastern mountains of North Gyeongsang, and Jeju's mountains; and about 1∼3㎝ in Daejeon, Sejong, inland South Chungcheong, southern North Chungcheong, and eastern North Jeolla.

Analyst Gong urged caution, noting that where rain and snow fall, black ice and icy roads may develop, so drivers and pedestrians should take care.

On the 14th, as air colder than -30 degrees moves down from the north, snow-cloud bands formed over the West Sea by sea-effect (the temperature difference between seawater and air) will intensify, bringing rain or snow mainly to west-coast areas south of the Chungcheong region. Winds and waves are also expected to be strong that day, which could disrupt ship and air operations near the southern coast and Jeju, the KMA said.

Through the weekend, temperatures will repeatedly drop after precipitation and then rise again, remaining around seasonal levels of cold. Next week, temperatures will tick up slightly, running about 3 degrees above normal.