Temperatures to warm up from next week
Changes will be felt beginning Feb. 24, when warmer westerly winds blowing into the Korean Peninsula. On this day, temperatures are expected to reach as low as minus 5 C in the morning and as high as 12 C during the day, which will still be considered cold compared to average temperatures from previous years.
From Feb. 25, temperatures will begin to increase steadily, with both morning and daytime temperatures expected to reach above freezing from Feb. 27. On the 27th, daytime temperatures are expected to reach as high as 14 C.
When asked whether the increase in temperatures signals the official start of spring, KMA official Woo Jin-kyu stated during a press briefing that although temperatures are expected to be higher than average next week, it's not possible to say that the cold is completely over as there 'could be temporary cold spells in the future.'
The KMA defines the start of spring as the first day in which the average daily temperature rises by more than 5 C and doesn't fall back down for nine days. The average here is calculated based on weather records from the last 10 years. Considering temperature records taken between 2011 and 2020, the average start of spring was Feb. 27.
Before the expected warm-up, cold temperatures will persist through the weekend.
'The cold weather will continue through the weekend as cold northwesterly winds continue to blow into the Korean Peninsula under the influence of the continental high pressure system," KMA official Gong Sang-min, Friday, explained.
On Friday, South Korea saw nationwide morning lows range between minus 12 degrees Celsius and minus 1 C, while nationwide daytime temperatures ranged between 0 C to 7 C.
As of 9 a.m., Friday, a cold wave watch has been issued in northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province as well as North and South Chungcheong Provinces while a cold wave warning was issued in northern and eastern parts of Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province.
In South Korea, a cold wave warning is issued when morning lows are forecast to dip to below minus 15 C for two consecutive days, while a cold wave watch is issued when low temperatures are expected to stay below minus 12 C.
On Saturday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 12 C and minus 1 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 7 C. Sunday's temperatures will also be similar to temperatures from the previous day, as morning temperatures are expected to hover around minus 12 C to minus 3 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 6 C.
The KMA added that the North and South Jeolla Provinces and Jeju Island can expect to see up to 5 centimeters of snow over the weekend.
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