●Cold Wave, Prepare for Heavy Snow
The Meteorological Administration held a briefing on the 5th and said, “The coldest colder than normal continues from the 6th to at least 12th,” and “especially the 7th to 9th will be the coldest.” The minimum temperature in Seoul falls to -11 degrees on the 6th and -15 degrees on the 7th to -17 degrees on the 8th. Seoul’s minimum temperature has fallen below -17 degrees Celsius only six times since 2000. That’s an unusual cold.
The wind gets stronger from dawn on the 7th when cold air comes from the north. From the 7th to the 8th, strong winds of 10 to 16m per second are expected to blow on the shoreline, and 7 to 13m per second in most parts of the country. When the wind blows strongly, the perceived temperature may feel almost 10 degrees lower than the actual temperature. Outdoor screening clinics should pay attention to the warmth of workers and also to prevent fires. It snows a lot. Snow begins on the west coast on the afternoon of the 6th and spreads across the country and falls until the morning of the 7th. Estimated snowfall is up to 20 cm between the west coast and the mountains of Jeju, 1 to 5 cm in the metropolitan area and Gangwon, and 3 to 10 cm in other areas. Snow stops in the afternoon of the 7th in most parts of the country, but snow continues until the 10th in the west coast of Jeolla and Jeju Island. Snow continues because snow clouds continue to form due to the difference in temperature between the relatively warm West Sea and the cold air over the Korean Peninsula. The Meteorological Administration predicted that by the 10th, snow will accumulate up to 50 cm in the mountains of Jeju and 30 cm in the west of Jeolla.
● Arctic cold wave created by warming
The severe cold came from the decline in Arctic sea ice last year. According to the Meteorological Administration, the decrease in Arctic Ocean ice last year was so large that it was among the top three by year. As the arctic temperature rises, the temperature difference between the mid-latitudes decreases and the jet stream that rotates rapidly in the upper arctic layer and traps the arctic cold air loosens. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that “the arctic cold air is coming down to mid-latitudes including the Korean peninsula as the loose jet stream is swaying.”
The recent occurrence of the’La Niña’ phenomenon, where the sea level near the equator is lower than normal, also strengthened the power of the cold wave. Usually, when the La Niña phenomenon occurs, a large cyclone is located in the east of the Korean Peninsula. Cyclic pressure rotates in a counterclockwise direction and causes wind, but again, the cyclone in the northeast of the Korean Peninsula is playing a role in sending northern cold air to the Korean Peninsula.
An unusual cold wave in winter is one of the abnormal climates. According to the’Korea Climate Change Assessment Report 2020′ published by the Ministry of Environment and Meteorological Administration last year by analyzing expert research, the frequency of cold waves below -12 degrees Celsius is increasing recently. The number of cold weather days in Korea increased from an annual average of 4.6 days in 2000-2009 to 5.3 days in 2010-2019. “The more arctic ice melts, the higher the likelihood of a long-term cold wave coming to the Korean Peninsula,” said Yeom Yeom-wook, a professor at Hanyang University’s Department of Marine Convergence Engineering.
Reporter Kang Eun [email protected]Go to reporter page>
Reporter Sajiwon [email protected]
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