Heavy rain, snowfall expected over weekend

People wear thick outer garments on a street in central Seoul, Nov. 29. Yonhap

Widespread heavy rain and snow are expected to persist nationwide this weekend. A cold air mass from the northwest is expected to bring frigid conditions throughout the weekend and into next week.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Friday, current precipitation levels across the country are showing signs of easing, but are anticipated to resume from Saturday morning. Rain or snow is expected to commence in the central region, Jeolla Province, inland areas of Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island on Saturday.

In the inland areas of Gyeongsang Province, precipitation is expected to continue until night time, while in the southwestern part of Gyeonggi Province, rain will persist until Sunday morning. In Chungcheong Province, Jeolla Province, and Jeju Island, rain or snow may continue until Sunday night.

Commencing from Saturday afternoon, cold air from the northwest is forecast to move south, resulting in a temperature drop of more than 10 degrees from the previous day.

Consequently, precipitation is expected to change from rain to snow in most areas over the weekend. When relatively warm sea surface temperatures in the West Sea encounter cold air, additional precipitation is expected, leading to heavy snowfall in the western regions.

Snowfall over the weekend is expected to be most substantial in the mountainous areas of Jeju Island, ranging from 10 to 20 centimeters, with some regions seeing over 30 centimeters.

A cold wave advisory may be issued on Saturday in the western part of the country and in some southern regions. A nationwide cold wave advisory may be issued on Sunday.

A cold wave advisory is issued when the morning lows are expected to be 10 degrees lower than the previous day, falling below minus three degrees Celsius.

On Sunday, the daytime low is expected to hover at minus 10 degrees in the central region and minus five degrees in other areas, dropping to as low as minus 17 degrees in some places.

The cold wave is expected to persist throughout next week. A low-pressure trough is forecast to pass through Korea on Tuesday, temporarily restoring normal temperatures. But temperatures will drop again later in the week, according to the KMA.