Weekend Weather Ideal for Outings as Temperatures Reach 17°C Nationwide

Saturday will see mostly clear skies across the nation, with midday temperatures in Seoul rising to 17 degrees Celsius, bringing mild conditions ideal for outings. The Gyeongsang region (excluding the East Coast) will gradually become cloudy from the evening, while the Gangwon mountainous areas, East Coast, and Jeju Island will be mostly overcast.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday, morning lows are forecast at minus 4 to 6 degrees Celsius, with afternoon highs of 8 to 17 degrees, slightly above the seasonal averages of minus 5 to 4 degrees for lows and 7 to 12 degrees for highs.

Morning low temperatures by city are: Seoul 2 degrees, Daejeon 0 degrees, Daegu 1 degree, Jeonju 2 degrees, Gwangju 4 degrees, Busan 5 degrees, Chuncheon minus 3 degrees, Gangneung 4 degrees, Jeju 9 degrees, and Ulleungdo-Dokdo 4 degrees.

Afternoon high temperatures by city are: Seoul 16 degrees, Daejeon 16 degrees, Daegu 15 degrees, Jeonju 17 degrees, Gwangju 17 degrees, Busan 13 degrees, Chuncheon 15 degrees, Gangneung 8 degrees, Jeju 15 degrees, and Ulleungdo-Dokdo 7 degrees.

The weather agency advised caution regarding the significant daily temperature variation exceeding 15 degrees. It also warned that rising temperatures could thaw frozen ground and weaken soil conditions, increasing risks of landslides and retaining wall collapses.

From Saturday evening through Sunday, the Gangwon East Coast and mountainous areas are expected to receive 1 to 5 centimeters of snow or around 5 millimeters of rain, while the North Gyeongsang East Coast may see light sprinkles of less than 0.1 millimeters. Dense fog with visibility below 200 meters is forecast until morning, primarily in the Jeolla region and western inland areas of South Gyeongsang Province, with visibility below 1 kilometer in other inland areas of the Gyeongsang region. Strong winds are expected along the South Gyeongsang coast and Jeju Island, requiring attention to facility management and safety.

The atmosphere will be very dry, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon inland regions where dry weather advisories are in effect. Small sparks could easily spread into large fires, requiring vigilance against wildfires.

Fine dust levels are expected to range from "good" to "moderate" across all regions. Wave heights are forecast at 1.0 to 2.5 meters in the East Sea coastal waters, 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the West Sea, and 0.5 to 2.5 meters in the South Sea. Offshore wave heights approximately 200 kilometers from the coastline are expected at 1.0 to 2.5 meters in the East Sea, 0.5 to 2.0 meters in the West Sea, and 1.5 to 3.5 meters in the South Sea.