1st snow arrives early in Seoul, but warmer, wetter winter expected
Tourists walk along a snow-covered trail at Mount Balwang in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, Sunday. Yonhap
Seoul recorded its first snowfall of the season Sunday, nearly a month earlier than last year, with light flurries observed in the capital.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the first snow was observed at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District.
The snowfall came 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average. It marked the sixth-earliest first snowfall since nationwide weather records began in 1973. Seoul's earliest first snowfall on record occurred on Oct. 23, 1981.
In Seoul, the official first snowfall is determined when an observer at the central Seoul weather station visually confirms that snow is falling. The designation does not necessarily mean snow fell across the entire city or accumulated on the ground.
Despite the early snowfall, KMA expects a warmer, wetter winter than usual, with more frequent rain and snow, as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to continue through the season.
El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator rise above normal. It is officially declared when the three-month moving average of sea surface temperatures in the designated monitoring region remains at least 0.5 degrees Celsius above normal for five consecutive months.
Sea surface temperatures in the monitored region reached 30 degrees Celsius between Oct. 11 and 17, a sharp 3.3 degrees above normal, according to the KMA. That is more than double the 1.5-degree threshold for a strong El Niño.
Tourists bundled up in warm clothing carry umbrellas at Namsan in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
The phenomenon could bring warmer and wetter conditions to Korea this winter, as warm, moisture-laden winds from the south push temperatures above normal and increase the likelihood of rain and snow. November, in particular, is expected to see more rainfall than usual.
Meanwhile, it is expected to see wide temperature swings between day and night next week, with morning temperatures dropping below freezing Tuesday. Rain is forecast nationwide Saturday afternoon.