Cold air from the northwest drives sharp morning temperature drop
Cold wave advisories in effect for Gyeonggi, Gangwon and other inland areas
Temperatures expected to recover to seasonal norms by the weekend
![Commuters hurry to work at Gwanghwamun intersection in Seoul on Thursday as temperatures dropped sharply. [Newsis]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/22/news-p.v1.20261022.e36882a78fd7448eb340f47802efd19c_P1.jpg)
Morning temperatures fell by about 10 degrees compared to Wednesday, bringing a sharp chill to Seoul and much of the country. Commuters bundled up in noticeably heavier clothing, many zipping their jackets all the way up as they hurried to work.
Around 8:30 a.m. Thursday near Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, office workers were dressed in light puffer jackets, coats, leather jackets and fleece tops. Scarves and face masks were also common, and many people walked with their hands buried in their pockets. Those who had ventured out without a coat hunched their shoulders against the cold.
Workers who stepped outside briefly to grab a warm coffee muttered "it's so cold" before quickly heading back indoors. Lee Min-jun, 34, who was waiting at a bus stop, said he had already felt the chill on his way home from working late Wednesday night. "I went ahead and pulled out my puffer jacket today," he said. "The big temperature swings make it exactly the kind of weather where you catch a cold."
Seoul's morning low dropped to 5 degrees Celsius, with temperatures falling sharply across the country. Parts of northeastern Gyeonggi Province and inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province dipped below freezing.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, morning lows Thursday were forecast at 0 to 10 degrees Celsius, with afternoon highs of 14 to 19 degrees. Morning lows by city included 5 degrees in Seoul, 3 degrees in Incheon, 5 degrees in Suwon and 1 degree in Chuncheon.
The KMA issued cold wave advisories at 9 a.m. Thursday for most inland areas, including Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, the Chungcheong provinces and southern regions. Cold wave advisories are issued between October and April when morning lows are expected to fall more than 10 degrees from the previous day to 3 degrees Celsius or below, and remain at least 3 degrees below the seasonal average.
The cold snap was triggered by a mass of frigid air that moved south from the northwest into the Korean Peninsula. The KMA forecast a temperature gap of around 15 degrees between daytime highs and nighttime lows across most inland areas Thursday.
Skies are expected to remain mostly clear nationwide as a high-pressure system moves eastward from near China's Shandong Peninsula. However, low morning temperatures will bring frost to inland areas across the country, with ice forming in parts of eastern Gyeonggi Province, inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province, North Chungcheong Province, northeastern North Jeolla Province, and central-northern and northeastern mountain areas of North Gyeongsang Province.
Morning temperatures on Friday are also expected to hover around 5 degrees Celsius across most of the country, keeping conditions chilly. Afternoon highs are forecast to climb to around 20 degrees, resulting in a wide daily temperature swing.
Rain is forecast to arrive in southern regions and Jeju Island from Friday afternoon. Showers are expected to begin in the afternoon on Jeju Island, and from the evening in South Jeolla Province and the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province. Rain is expected to continue in the Jeolla and Gyeongsang regions and Jeju Island on Saturday.
Forecast rainfall totals for Friday and Saturday are 10 to 40 millimeters for Gwangju and South Jeolla Province and for Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, and 30 to 80 millimeters for Jeju Island. On Saturday, North Jeolla Province is expected to receive 5 to 10 millimeters and Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province 5 to 30 millimeters.
Temperatures are expected to remain below the seasonal average — lows of 5 to 14 degrees and highs of 19 to 22 degrees — through Friday morning before recovering to normal levels from midday. Temperatures are then forecast to rise gradually, edging slightly above the seasonal average by Sunday.
The KMA urged the public to stay updated on the latest forecasts, noting that the areas and timing of rainfall could shift depending on changes in atmospheric pressure around the Korean Peninsula, including the track and intensity of a typhoon.
newday@heraldcorp.com
