South Korea experienced an exceptionally dry winter, with precipitation falling to just half of normal levels and temperatures showing significant fluctuations despite being above average overall.
According to the "2025 Winter Climate Characteristics" report released by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Tuesday, nationwide precipitation from December 2024 to February 2025 totaled 45.6mm, only 53% of the seasonal average of 89.0mm. The number of precipitation days also fell to 14.6 days, 4.8 days fewer than normal.
January saw particularly sharp declines in rainfall as upper-level pressure troughs frequently developed to the northeast, bringing cold, dry northwesterly winds. January precipitation of 4.3mm was the second-lowest since the nationwide meteorological observation network was established in 1973. Dry conditions persisted through February under the influence of migratory high-pressure systems.
The decline in winter precipitation marks the second consecutive year of such conditions. Winter 2024 recorded just 39.6mm, only 43.6% of normal levels. Experts attribute this pattern to atmospheric blocking phenomena and convective activity over the tropical western Pacific. Blocking events—where upper atmospheric flow stagnates near the Ural Mountains and eastern Siberia—created conditions favorable for cold, dry Arctic air to flow into the Korean Peninsula. Active convection over the tropical western Pacific further intensified this effect by developing cyclonic circulation patterns that increased dry air inflow.
January relative humidity dropped to 53%, the lowest reading in 53 years. The Yeongdong region of Gangwon Province and Gyeongsang Province saw humidity levels more than 10 percentage points below normal, significantly elevating wildfire risks. South Gyeongsang Province recorded 14.5 meteorological drought days, the second-highest since 2017.
Weak easterly winds contributed to low precipitation this winter, while prevailing northwesterly winds combined with the topographic effects of the Taebaek and Sobaek mountain ranges to further dry the air. Snowfall days totaled 14.5, near the normal of 15.9 days, but accumulated snow depth reached only 14.7cm—roughly half the average of 26.4cm.
The nationwide average temperature of 1.1°C was 0.6°C above normal. However, late January brought sustained cold waves lasting more than ten days as Arctic air continuously flowed southward. This resulted from a weakened polar vortex—which normally contains cold Arctic air—and a strengthened negative Arctic Oscillation that allowed cold continental high-pressure systems to develop.
Sea surface temperatures around the Korean Peninsula averaged 12.9°C, the second-highest in the past decade.
"As wildfire and drought risks may increase in the coming spring, we will closely monitor climate conditions and provide timely information to strengthen proactive responses to abnormal weather events," said KMA Administrator Lee Mi-seon.