Where are the spring flowers? Sudden March snowstorm grips nation

Children carefully walk down a pedestrian overpass in Gyo-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Monday, as a heavy snow warning is issued. Yonhap

A sudden March snowstorm has prompted snow removal and emergency preparations across the country.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) predicted Monday that between late at night and Tuesday morning, heavy snow would fall at a rate of 1 to 3 centimeters per hour in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area. The expected snowfall for Tuesday included 3 to 10 centimeters in Seoul and the metropolitan area, 3 to 30 centimeters in Gangwon Province, 1 to 15 centimeters in Gyeongsang, 1 to 10 centimeters in Chungcheong, 1 to 8 centimeters in Jeolla and 1 to 5 centimeters in the mountainous regions of Jeju Island.

Gangwon’s mountainous areas were expected to experience blizzards with snow accumulating at a rate of 3 to 5 centimeters per hour, accompanied by strong winds, while other regions may also see snow falling at a rate of 1 to 3 centimeters per hour.

The KMA issued a heavy snow advisory across Seoul at 11 p.m. Monday, the latest spring advisory since the agency began tracking snow warnings in 1999. A heavy snow advisory is issued when at least 5 centimeters of snowfall is expected within 24 hours. This is the first time in seven years that a preliminary heavy snow warning has been issued nationwide around late March. The last time was 2018.

The unexpected heavy snowfall is attributed to a polar low-pressure system formed by cold air descending from the Arctic. As a mass of minus 40 degrees Celsius Arctic air passed over the warm waters of the West Sea, the temperature difference generated a large snow cloud system. This type of polar low-pressure system can bring winds as strong as those of a typhoon, making snowstorms likely in the metropolitan area. Snow and rain are expected to subside gradually beginning Tuesday afternoon, starting in the metropolitan area, South Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces.

A cold snap is also anticipated. The national morning low temperatures on Tuesday were expected to range from minus 3 C to 3 C, with daytime highs between 3 C and 9 C. The lowest perceived temperature in Seoul is forecast to be minus 4 C, while Daejeon’s may drop to minus 8 C.

The heavy snowfall on Monday caused multiple accidents in Gangwon Province, with vehicles stranded and roads closed. In response, emergency level 1 operations were activated in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Busan beginning Monday afternoon.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.