On the morning of the 27th, the first snow of the season accumulated in Songpa-gu, Seoul, creating a picturesque scene. On this day, over 16 cm of snow fell in Seoul, setting a record for the highest snowfall in November since modern meteorological observations began in 1907. This is the most snow accumulated in one day in November in 117 years. The previous record was 9.5 cm on November 20, 1966.
With the first snowfall of November reaching blizzard levels, a heavy snow warning was issued for Seoul and the metropolitan area. Forecasts predict that more than 30 cm of snow may fall nationwide, excluding some areas like Gangwon, until the 29th, with the capital region, including Seoul, expecting up to an additional 20 cm.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 8 a.m. on the 27th, 16.5 cm of snow had accumulated at the Jongno-gu Weather Observatory in Seoul, based on the daily maximum new snowfall measurement. The concept of daily maximum new snowfall refers to the amount of snow that has newly accumulated over a single day. The daily maximum snowfall considers the maximum depth of snow accumulated on the ground over that day, including any snow that fell the previous day but didn’t melt away.
Within Seoul, snowfall varied greatly by district, with 20 cm accumulating in Gangbuk-gu, while Yangcheon-gu had 3.5 cm, Gangnam-gu 4 cm, and Seocho-gu 5.4 cm, where relatively less snow fell. Nationwide, the area with the most snowfall was Yongmunsan in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi, with 22 cm. Pyeongchang-gun in Gangwon had 21.7 cm, Jinan-gun in North Jeolla 13.5 cm, and Deogyusan in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do recorded 8.5 cm.
Differences in snowfall even within similar areas were attributed to variations in local altitude. KMA forecast analyst Sang-min Gong explained that “a difference in altitude of 50 to 100 meters can cause slight temperature changes, which can create better conditions for snow accumulation. In Seoul, the north tends to have higher ground compared to the south, which leads to such regional disparities.”
While the snow may temporarily subside in some areas, snow clouds from the western sea are expected to bring more snow. Aside from parts of Gangwon, more snow is anticipated through the 29th, with forecasts of 3-15 cm (20 cm or more in some areas) in the capital region including Seoul, 5-20 cm (up to 30 cm in some areas) in Gangwon, 2-10 cm (up to 15 cm in some areas) in the Chungcheong area, 1-10 cm (up to 15 cm in some areas) in the Honam region, 1-10 cm in Gyeongsang, and 5-15 cm in Jeju. On the 29th, an additional 1 cm or less may fall in Seoul and the capital region, with 1-3 cm in Chungcheong, and 1-5 cm in Honam.
The influx of cold air from the northwest will cause temperatures to drop sharply. The morning low on the 28th is expected to be -5°C, falling to -8°C by the 29th. The Meteorological Administration warns that strong winds will make it feel even colder and advises care in health management due to potential decreased immunity caused by sudden temperature changes.