Seoul: More than 16 centimeters of snow blanketed the capital city Wednesday, marking the biggest snowfall in November since modern weather observations began in 1907, the state weather agency said. As of 7 a.m., Seoul had received 16.5 cm of snow, surpassing the previous record of 12.4 cm on Nov. 28, 1972, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The new record coincided with the first snow of the season in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, while standard measurements for the capital city are taken at the Seoul weather station in Jongno Ward, by district, Seongbuk Ward and Gangbuk Ward in the city’s north had received 20.6 cm and 20.4 cm of snow, respectively, as of 7 a.m. A heavy snow warning was issued in the northeastern districts of Seoul, including Nowon, Seongbuk, and Dobong. Snow and rain are forecast nationwide until Thursday morning, with continued precipitation expected in parts of Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province, and until late Friday night in the Chungcheo
ng and Jeolla provinces, and on Jeju Island.
More than 170 households experienced a blackout in Seoul’s Seongbuk district at 5:30 a.m., likely due to trees falling on telegraph poles and electric wires under the weight of heavy snow, as reported by the Korea Electric Power Corp. As of 1 p.m., 40 flights had been canceled and 180 flights delayed at airports nationwide due to the snow, including 75 flights at Incheon International Airport. Furthermore, operations of 96 passenger ferries on 74 routes were halted nationwide, and entry to seven national parks, including those in Mount Bukhan and Mount Seorak, was restricted.
As of 2 p.m., the interior ministry had upgraded the operations of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Level 2 and raised the heavy snow warning from “caution” to “alert.” The disaster control tower also warned of traffic congestion during the morning and evening rush hours, pile-up accidents on icy roads, and safety issues for pedestrians due to the heavy snowfal
l.
Interior Minister Lee Sang-min instructed officials to thoroughly conduct snow removal operations. Starting at 7 a.m., the Seoul metropolitan government began removing snow in cooperation with district governments and relevant agencies, focusing on the entryways of subway stations and bus stations. The city also extended morning and evening rush hour operations on the subway by 30 minutes on Lines 2 and 5 through 8, as well as for intra-city buses. The extended hours will remain in place until Level 2 of the three-tier response system is lifted.