2010 South Korean snowstorm

2010 South Korean snowstorm
Snow-covered Sinchon Rotary viewed from Seogangno, 4 January 2010
Meteorological history
Date4 January 2010
Overall effects
Fatalities1
Injuries2
Damage₩10.6 billion
Areas affectedSeoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province

The 2010 South Korean snowstorm was a blizzard that struck central South Korea on 4 January 2010, centered on Seoul and affecting the wider Capital Area and Gangwon Province. At 2:00 p.m. on 4 January, Seoul recorded 25.8 cm of accumulated snow, setting a new record for the highest single-day new snowfall[n 1] since observations began in 1937.[1] The storm caused widespread damage and disruption across the Capital Area and Gangwon Province.

Forecast

On 3 January 2010, the day before the snowstorm, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued a press release at 4:30 p.m. forecasting snowfall across the country, centered on the central region, due to a low-pressure system that had developed while moving southeastward from northern China toward the Korean Peninsula.[2] The KMA predicted particularly heavy snowfall centered on southern Gyeonggi Province, northern Chungcheong Province, and northern Gangwon Province.[2] However, 20 cm or more of snow fell on Seoul, northern Gyeonggi Province, and northern Gangwon Province — areas for which not even a preliminary heavy-snow advisory had been issued — far exceeding the KMA's initial forecast of around 5 cm for Seoul, drawing widespread criticism of the agency's forecasting accuracy.[1][3]

Causes

From around 26 December 2009, a climatic pattern began to emerge in which a mass of cold air at around −40 °C, formed over Siberia at approximately 5 km above ground level over the Manchuria region, began cycling periodically. As a result, on most days other than 29 and 30 December, the −30 °C isotherm extended across the upper atmosphere at around 5 km above northern parts of the Korean Peninsula, causing sharp cold across most of the peninsula — with morning low temperatures falling below zero everywhere except Jeju Island and the south coast, and many days in the central region seeing daytime temperatures remain below 0 °C.[4][5]

On 4 January, an upper-level trough carrying extremely cold air of around −40 °C passed through the upper atmosphere at approximately 5 km above northern Korea, leaving cold air of around −30 °C lingering over the central region. Simultaneously, a low-pressure system approaching from the interior of central China absorbed a large amount of moisture as it passed over the Yellow Sea, then collided with the cold air mass over the central Korean interior, generating intense snow clouds. The rear of this low-pressure system saw an expansion of the Siberian High, driving a strong inflow of cold air, which caused heavy snowfall particularly over the Seoul Capital Area and Gangwon Province, which lay to the north of the low-pressure center.[6]

Records

The snow that fell on 4 January was concentrated mainly in the Seoul Capital Area and Gangwon Province, where an average of around 20 cm of record snowfall was observed. In Seoul, a maximum of 25.8 cm accumulated in a single day. The maximum new snowfall recorded in Seoul that day[n 2] surpassed the previous first-place record of 25.6 cm set on 28 January 1969, setting a new all-time record for new snowfall since observations began. Incheon recorded a peak new snowfall of 22.3 cm and Suwon 19.5 cm, ranking second and third respectively in the all-time peak new snowfall rankings.[1][7] In contrast, South Chungcheong Province, adjacent to Gyeonggi Province, received relatively little snow, resulting in large regional variation in snowfall totals.[6] In sharp contrast to the heavy snowfall in the central region, South Jeolla Province and the southern and eastern coastal areas of South Gyeongsang Province — excluding mountainous areas — saw rain or sleet due to higher temperatures.

Snowfall by region

Satellite images of the Korean Peninsula before (left) and after (right) the snowstorm

Peak new snowfall by region (top 5 stations per region, 00:00–21:00 on 4 January)[8]

Seoul · Incheon · Gyeonggi Province

  • Seoul: 25.8 cm
  • Icheon: 23.0 cm
  • Incheon: 22.6 cm
  • Munsan: 20.2 cm
  • Suwon: 19.5 cm

Gangwon Province

Daejeon · North and South Chungcheong Provinces

Daegu · North and South Gyeongsang Provinces

Impact

South Korea

Media described the snowfall of 4 January as "the heaviest snow in 100 years," reflecting the severity of damage concentrated in the Capital Area and Gangwon Province.[9] The overlap between snowfall and morning rush hour caused extreme congestion on major roads in the Capital Area — traffic was described as a "transportation catastrophe" — and because temperatures remained below zero throughout the day and snow did not melt, evening rush hour also saw severe gridlock. Traffic accidents increased sharply, and emergency call centers at insurance companies were overwhelmed by drivers requesting roadside assistance.[10] The paralysis of road transport also disrupted logistics companies, causing delivery delays across the country.[11] Accumulated snow caused structural damage to agricultural facilities, including greenhouses, livestock sheds, and ginseng cultivation structures.[12]

Statistics

  • Property damage[13]
    • Approximately ₩10.6 billion (2010 KRW)[14]
      • Greenhouses: approximately 610 structures
      • Livestock sheds: 57 structures
      • Ginseng cultivation facilities: 17.5 ha

Seoul

Snow covered the runways at Gimpo International Airport, bringing all flight operations to a complete halt for the first time in nine years; as a knock-on effect, domestic flights were cancelled in large numbers at other airports including Gimhae International Airport.[15][16] The morning commute across the Capital Area was heavily disrupted. Major roads in Seoul became severely congested, resembling parking lots, and traffic was restricted on several city roads including Inwangsan-ro and Bugaksan-ro.[10][17] The Seoul Metropolitan Government deployed more than 3,000 personnel and approximately 2,300 tonnes of calcium chloride for emergency snow removal, but with heavy snowfall continuing and temperatures remaining below zero, the effort had limited effect.[18] As road conditions deteriorated, commuters shifted to public transport, but the subway system was not immune to the storm's effects: snow accumulation on rails caused temporary service suspensions on parts of Seoul Subway Line 1 and Seoul Subway Line 2.[17] Snow also caused signal switch failures at Seoul Station, Yeongdeungpo Station, and Cheongnyangni Station, leading to delays on KTX and conventional train services.[18]

Incheon and Gyeonggi Province

Numerous flights were cancelled at Incheon International Airport due to the snowstorm, though snow removal operations prevented a complete halt to flight operations.[19] Unloading operations at Port of Incheon and Port of Pyeongtaek were fully suspended or delayed due to heavy snow and strong winds.[20] As in Seoul, snowfall coincided with the morning rush hour in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, causing transportation chaos.[10] The Incheon city government issued an all-hands mobilization order, deploying approximately 5,000 civil servants and 315 pieces of equipment to spread more than 2,500 tonnes of snow-removal agents including calcium chloride, liquid de-icer, salt, and sand, but the sheer volume of accumulated snow limited the effectiveness of these measures.[21] The Gyeonggi Province Disaster Response Headquarters deployed approximately 27,000 personnel including civil servants and military personnel, along with more than 1,800 pieces of equipment, to spread approximately 8,000 tonnes of calcium chloride, salt, and sand on roads, but again had limited success against the accumulated snow. In Ansan, a storage facility at the Korea Rural Community Corporation's rural research institute collapsed, initially reported as injuring three people;[10][13] it was later confirmed that the structure was an air-dome experimental facility being inspected during snow removal, and that the incident caused one fatality and two injuries.[22]

Gangwon Province

Gangwon Province also received around 20 cm of snow, bringing morning commute traffic to a crawl.[23] The mountainous terrain resulted in partial road closures at passes including Jingogae, and the suspension of bus services on mountain routes left many village residents effectively isolated.[24] Greenhouses, ginseng cultivation facilities, and livestock sheds collapsed, with provisional damage estimates of approximately ₩120 million. However, because the snow fell in a dry form with low moisture content, and because the Yeongdong region of Gangwon Province is one of South Korea's heavy-snowfall areas and was comparatively well-prepared, actual damage was less severe than anticipated.[25] Gangneung's efficient snow-removal operations attracted nationwide attention as a model response.[26][27][28][29]

Daejeon and Chungcheong Provinces

Snowfall was comparatively light in this region compared to the Capital Area and Gangwon Province, limiting overall damage, though losses were reported in North Chungcheong Province, which received more snow than South Chungcheong Province. In Chungju, a poultry farm collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow, killing approximately 3,000 chickens, and greenhouse damage was also reported. Some flights at Cheongju Airport were cancelled, and ferry services to island communities from ports along the South Chungcheong coast were suspended due to rough seas.[30]

North Gyeongsang Province

Snow fell in North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu, and parts of inland South Gyeongsang Province, while Busan, Ulsan, and most of South Gyeongsang Province received rain or sleet, limiting snowstorm damage to North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu. Postal deliveries in rural northern North Gyeongsang Province were temporarily suspended, one ginseng cultivation facility collapsed, and several mountain passes in the North Gyeongsang area were temporarily closed before reopening.[31][32][33]

North Korea

North Korea also experienced heavy snowfall around 4 January. However, Korean Central Broadcasting reported only that light snow had fallen in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province on the 3rd, and in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, Pyongyang, and Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province on the 4th, without reporting on snowfall totals or damage. One North Korean defector noted that transportation infrastructure in North Korea was less developed, so traffic disruption of the kind seen in South Korea was less unusual, and that the relative scarcity of agricultural facilities such as greenhouses meant snowstorm damage was limited.[34] The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated there were no signs of snow-related disaster in North Korea.[35]

Controversies

Tapgol Park, blanketed in snow from the storm

The heavy snowfall highlighted concerns that snow-removal agents such as calcium chloride were ineffective during such extreme events while causing new environmental problems, damaging road surfaces and street trees.[36] Environmental groups also raised concerns that snow piled up in open lots by local authorities after snow removal contained de-icing agents such as calcium chloride, which could cause water pollution if it melted into rivers and streams.[37]

The National Emergency Management Agency noted that local government ordinances requiring residents and business owners to clear snow in front of their own properties were not being complied with, and announced that fines of up to ₩1 million would be imposed on those who failed to do so, sparking debate.[38]

About ten days after the snowstorm, on 13 January, the KMA announced that the economic value of the 4 January snowfall had been estimated at more than ₩830 billion, drawing criticism that it was inappropriate to discuss only the economic benefits when the storm had caused considerable damage.[39][40]

Online, a segment in which KBS journalist Park Dae-gi reported from the snowstorm while being pelted with snow went viral, as did footage of a citizen skiing on a snow-covered road in Cheongdam-dong, who became known online as the "Cheongdam-dong ski hero."[41][42][43]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ New snowfall (신적설) refers to the amount of snow accumulated from 00:01 on the observation day to the time of observation. For example, if the observation day is 4 January 2010 and the observation time is 14:00, new snowfall is measured as the amount of snow that accumulated between 00:00 and 14:00 on 4 January. If snow melts or is blown away by wind in the hour following the observation, the recorded new snowfall value decreases accordingly. This differs from total snowfall (적설량), which measures accumulated snow regardless of time period.
  2. ↑ Peak new snowfall (최심 신적설) refers to the highest amount of new snowfall recorded at any point during the day.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "서울에 '대설'…하루 내린 양 1937년 관측 이후 최다" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. 4 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 "내일(4일) 전국 눈, 특히 중부지방에 많은 눈" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. 3 January 2010.
  3. ↑ "또 빗나간 기상청 예보 '항의 폭주'…왜 틀렸나" (in Korean). SBS. 4 January 2010.
  4. ↑ "1월 기온변화 크고 한 두 차례 많은 눈" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "한강 첫 결빙 (26일 ~ 29일 서울 일 최고·최저 기온)" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. 29 December 2009.
  6. 1 2 "오늘 서울에 내린 눈 12시 현재 25.4cm" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration.
  7. ↑ "국내기후자료 - 전년 최심 신적설 (0.1cm) 최고순위" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  8. ↑ "관측자료 - 1월 4일 신적설 자료" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration.
  9. ↑ "눈폭탄 뒤 한파 기온 '뚝'…출근길 '꽉꽉' 얼었다" (in Korean). SBS. 5 January 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "중부권 폭설로 '아수라장'..사고.피해 속출" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 4 January 2010.
  11. ↑ "폭설로 교통마비… 물류ㆍ유통업계 '비상'" (in Korean). Digital Times.
  12. ↑ "폭설로 비닐 하우스·축사 등 농업시설도 피해" (in Korean). Nocut News.
  13. 1 2 "1.4-7 대설 대처상황 보고(07시)" (in Korean). National Disaster Information Center.
  14. ↑ "2010년 대설 01.03-08 대설 - 전국 사유시설 피해총계" (in Korean). National Disaster Information Center. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "김포공항, 9년 만에 마비…"육·해·공 다 막혔네"" (in Korean). SBS. 4 January 2010.
  16. ↑ "중부권 폭설로 김해공항 항공기 결항(종합)" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 4 January 2010.
  17. 1 2 "새해 첫 출근길 '눈폭탄'…교통대란(종합)-1" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 4 January 2010.
  18. 1 2 "새해 첫 출근길 '눈폭탄'…교통대란(종합)-2" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 4 January 2010.
  19. ↑ "[인천공항 이야기] 최악 폭설과 함께 시작한 2010년" (in Korean). Kyunghyang Shinmun. 11 January 2010.
  20. ↑ "폭설 그쳤지만…수도권 물류 마비…수입 화물도 발묶여" (in Korean). Herald Business. 5 January 2010.
  21. ↑ "[폭설] 인천 14개 도로 통제 등 피해 확산" (in Korean). Asia Economy. 4 January 2010.
  22. ↑ "농어촌 연구원 폭설사고 천재에 인재 겹쳐(종합)" (in Korean). Ansan Internet News.
  23. ↑ "영서지역도 폭설 대란" (in Korean). MBC. 4 January 2010.
  24. ↑ "강원도 산간 마을, 폭설로 '고립'" (in Korean). MBC. 5 January 2010.
  25. ↑ "강원 폭설피해 1억2천여만원 잠정 집계" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 5 January 2010.
  26. ↑ ""제설의 귀감 강릉서 배우자"" (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011.
  27. ↑ "눈 내리자 바로 장비 투입… 염화칼슘·모래 3대7 섞어 뿌려 신속한 제설로 교통대란 피한 강릉시 비결" (in Korean). Chosun Ilbo. 7 January 2010.
  28. ↑ "'제설의 달인 강릉' 수도권서 주목" (in Korean). Gangwon Domin Ilbo. 8 January 2010.
  29. ↑ "강릉시 신속 제설작업 노하우?" (in Korean). Gangwon Ilbo. 6 January 2010.
  30. ↑ "맥없이 주저앉은 비닐하우스…닭 3천마리 폐사" (in Korean). SBS. 4 January 2010.
  31. ↑ "폭설로 경북북부 일부지역 우편물 배달 중단" (in Korean). Newsis. 4 January 2010.
  32. ↑ "폭설로 비닐하우스 352개동 파손(종합)" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 5 January 2010.
  33. ↑ "경북도내 폭설 교통통제 17곳 전면 해제" (in Korean). Newsis. 5 January 2010.
  34. ↑ "북한에는 눈 안 왔나?‥'폭설' 언급 없어" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 7 January 2010.
  35. ↑ ""북한, 폭설 재난 징후 없어"" (in Korean). YTN. 12 January 2010.
  36. ↑ "'사상 최대' 염화칼슘..이번엔 환경피해 '우려'" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 6 January 2010.
  37. ↑ "제설작업 나온 '눈 쓰레기' 환경오염 우려" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 7 January 2010.
  38. ↑ ""집 앞 눈 안 치우면 벌금 100만원"…찬반 논란" (in Korean). SBS. 7 January 2010.
  39. ↑ "강설(´10.1.4)의 경제적 가치는 단비보다 높아" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. 13 January 2010.
  40. ↑ "기상청 "폭설 경제적 가치 8300억원 이상".. 논란 일 듯" (in Korean). Financial News. 13 January 2010.
  41. ↑ "폭설속 진풍경…박대기 기자와 청담동 스키용자" (in Korean). Nocut News. 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010.
  42. ↑ "박대기 기자, 폭설이 낳은 스타? 포털사이트 프로필 입성 '눈길'" (in Korean). Newsen. 4 January 2010.
  43. ↑ "'눈사람 투혼' 박대기 KBS 기자 격려메일만 1500통" (in Korean). Media Today. 5 January 2010.
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