The cold spell will continue to grip the nation Monday, with the mercury dropping below minus 9 degrees Celsius in the morning, the state weather agency said Sunday.

The Korea Meteorological Administration warned of a wind chill factor likely to dip into the minus-10s. Some Chungcheong and west coastal areas will see snow.

The cold spell will linger through Tuesday, the KMA said.

The sudden coldness appeared on Sunday morning, pushing away the unusually mild autumn days.

The morning low in Seoul was minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, about 10 degrees down from a day earlier, marking the first sub-zero temperature for this autumn. The first frost of the year was seen in the capital city and Incheon. In the mountainous area of Daegwallyeong in Gangwon Province, the mercury dropped to minus 6 degrees.

The KMA explained that the icy spell has advanced to Korean from the northeast.

“Even if the severe cold recedes, the weather will remain cold throughout the month since cold high pressure will prevail next week blocking the warm atmosphere to influence the Korean peninsula,” he said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)