Seoul snowfall now third heaviest on record

Heavy snow beset Seoul and the surrounding areas for a second consecutive day Thursday, with the total snowfall in the capital marking the third heaviest snowfall on record in the city.

At 8 a.m., Seoul’s accumulated snowfall reached 28.6 centimeters at the capital's official measurement site in the Jongno-gu district. This was the most in November since records began in 1907.

The heaviest snowfall ever recorded in Seoul was 31 cm on March 24, 1922, followed by 30 cm on Jan. 31, 1969. Until today, the third highest was 28.6 cm on Feb. 1, 1969. As recent weather data takes precedence, Thursday’s accumulation became the third highest snowfall.

Other parts of Seoul saw record amounts of snow, with Gwanak-gu topping the city’s totals with 41.2 cm. Other districts, including Seongbuk with 28.4 cm, Dongjak with 25.1 cm, Seodaemun with 27.9 cm, also reported significant snow.

Among Seoul’s surrounding regions, southern Gyeonggi Province saw the heaviest snowfall, disrupting traffic and causing power outages. At 8 a.m., Yongin reported a staggering 47.5 cm, while Suwon saw 43 cm, making the city’s highest accumulation since weather monitoring began in 1964. Other areas, including Gunpo and Anyang also reported over 40 centimeters of snow.

Across nationwide, the central region also saw heavy snowfall, with Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province recorded 39.1cm. Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province saw 30.3 cm, while Hoengseong reported 25.7 cm.

The Korea Meteorological Administration placed a heavy snow advisory as of this morning for the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon Province, northern Chungcheong Province and norther Gyeongsang Province. These regions are expected to see snowfall of 1 to 3 cm per hour until noon.

As snow is expected to fall through Friday in some parts of the country, authorities are urging caution, warning of dangers from icy roads.