▲ A child sweeps off snow in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Dec. 30, 2023. The state weather agency issued a heavy snow advisory for parts of the capital and surrounding areas earlier in the day. (Yonhap)
▲ People walk along a street near Deoksu Palace in central Seoul amid heavy snow on Dec. 30, 2023. The state weather agency issued a heavy snow advisory for parts of the capital and surrounding areas. (Yonhap)
▲ A person walks along a street near Deoksu Palace in central Seoul on Dec. 30, 2023. The state weather agency issued a heavy snow advisory for parts of the capital and surrounding areas earlier in the day. (Yonhap)
▲ Traffic officers restrict access to a road in central Seoul as a heavy snow advisory is in effect across the capital on Dec. 30, 2023. (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) heavy snow-advisory

(3rd LD) Seoul sees heaviest December snowfall in over 40 years; more snow expected over weekend

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 8th para; UPDATES paras 2-5)

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- Seoul residents battled through the heaviest snowfall recorded for December since 1981, with more than 10 centimeters of snow dumped Saturday, as the country braces for snow and rain expected ahead of the new year.

A heavy snow advisory was in effect for the entire capital, parts of Gyeonggi Province and the eastern province of Gangwon earlier in the day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

As of 4 p.m., the advisory was lifted in all of Seoul but remained in effect for most parts of Gangwon, with up to 1 to 4 centimeters of snowfall per hour pounding the inland and mountainous areas of the province.

The advisory is given when the snowfall is expected to reach 5 centimeters or more within 24 hours.

Seoul saw its heaviest December snowfall of 12.2 cm since 1981, in terms of the maximum depth of newly fallen snow. On Dec. 19, 1981, Seoul recorded an all-time December high of 18.3 cm.

The city government said it deployed 4,689 personnel and 1,218 pieces of equipment for snow removal efforts across the capital.

The snowfall caused minor traffic collisions across the city, with traffic being partially restricted on a five-lane road in central Seoul among others.

A public bus carrying five passengers slid down an icy hill in the eastern Seoul district of Gwangjin, causing minor injuries to the driver and passengers, as well as a passerby who was hit by the bus.

The weather agency said light rainfall of less than 0.1 mm or snowfall of less than 0.1 cm is expected in the eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province.

It had said there may be more heavy snow warnings in the broader capital area and in-land parts of the eastern province of Gangwon due to incoming snow clouds from the Yellow Sea.

For Sunday, it forecast cloudy weather across the country, with rain or snow in the morning, and the possibility of heavy snowfall in the coastal areas of Gangwon in the afternoon.

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