First heavy snow advisory issued for Seoul

A driver puts chains on the tires of his car in the middle of a road leading from southwestern Seoul to Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province on Monday, when heavy snow advisories were issued for Seoul and nearby cities. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

Seoul’s first heavy snow advisory of the season was issued, Monday, as the city was blanketed with over five centimeters of snow.

The Korea Meteorological Association (KMA) issued heavy snow advisories for nine cities and counties including Seoul from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The others based in Gyeonggi Province are Gwacheon, Seongnam, Guri, Namyangju, Hanam, Gwangju, Yangpyeong, Bucheon and Gimpo. These areas saw five to 10 centimeters of snow.

Heavy snow warnings were also issued for Chuncheon and Hwacheon County as well as northern mountainous areas in Gangwon Province.

An advisory is issued when there is a forecast of five centimeters of snow or more, and a warning for 20 centimeters of snow or more, within a 24-hour period.

The advisories for Seoul and the eight cities and counties in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces were lifted between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., but the snowfall caused inconveniences and accidents in these regions throughout the morning.

The heavy snowfall inconvenienced commuters amid traffic congestion.

Four major insurance companies recorded over 26,000 dispatches to assist vehicles experiencing trouble, according to data from the General Insurance Association. The figure is a 32 percent increase over clear weather days.

Several inclined roads leading to mountainous areas in northern Seoul were put under control due to the heavy snow.

Some 3,500 personnel and over 1,100 vehicles and equipment were mobilized to remove snow and control traffic in the area.

Authorities used over 3,700 tons of calcium chloride to melt down the snow on Seoul’s roads.

At the POSCO building intersection in Gangnam, southern Seoul, a passenger vehicle heading toward Seolleung Station caught fire after a collision at around 9 a.m., causing a traffic jam as authorities dealt with the accident.

Four vehicles ended up in a pileup on a road leading to Ganghwa Island of Incheon, from the city of Gimpo.

Highways surrounding the capital area saw heavy congestion.

Over 100 departing flights were canceled and delayed at Gimpo and Incheon airports, as snow and ice had to be removed from aircraft. Many arrivals were also delayed.

The KMA advises pedestrians and drivers watch out for slippery roads that have frozen after the snowfall under sub-zero temperatures.

Disaster and safety authorities advised residents to remove the snow in front of their homes.