Some sleet was witnessed on the mountains on the outskirts of Seoul on Tuesday due to a sudden drop in temperatures but fell short of being recorded as the first snow of the season, the state weather agency said.

The weather became as cold as winter amid light rainfall in the morning, raising expectations for the first snow of the season in the capital.

Indeed, some sleet fell on suburban Seoul mountains, such as Dobong, Bukhan and Gwanak, where temperatures were lower than in the downtown and flatlands.

But the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) did not classify the sleet as snow, as it was mixed with rain amid strong wind and its amount was relatively small.

The agency said the first snowfall of the season in Seoul is declared only when weathermen can see snow with their own eyes on the premises of the KMA's branch in Songweol-dong in the center of the capital. Official records show light rain fell on and off at the KMA's Seoul branch in the morning.

The first snow in Seoul usually comes in mid to late November, the KMA said, adding the average of the capital's first snow days from 1991 to last year is Nov. 20. Last year, the first snow fell in Seoul on Dec. 10. (Yonhap)