(LEAD) Heavy snow pounds Seoul, surrounding areas

▲ 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)

(LEAD) heavy snow-advisory

(LEAD) Heavy snow pounds Seoul, surrounding areas

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SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- Heavy snow pounded the capital and parts of the surrounding Gyeonggi Province on Saturday, with snow or rain expected to fall in many parts of the country ahead of the new year.

A heavy snow advisory was in effect for the entire capital, except for southwestern Seoul, parts of Gyeonggi Province, and most parts of the eastern province of Gangwon as of 1 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

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

Eastern and central Seoul saw heavy snowfall, with accumulated snow measuring at 7.5 centimeters as of 1 p.m.

The city government said it has 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.

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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