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IrelandDecember El Niño peak raises South Korean heavy-snow concerns
A weather report connects unusually warm Pacific waters with a separate Arctic influence that could bring sudden cold and localized snowfall.
South KoreaStory of Why this story? One of YTN's most watched videos since yesterday, with 2,779,875 views.
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"우려가 현실로" 역대 가장 강한 엘니뇨 왔다...12월 절정 / YTN
Extra moisture from the Pacific and cold air arriving from the Arctic could combine to produce heavy snowfall in South Korea this winter, according to South Korean broadcaster YTN (Yonhap Television News).
Reporter Jang Ha-young says the Korea Meteorological Administration has confirmed an exceptionally strong El Niño, expected to peak in December. The report puts the August-October sea-surface temperature anomaly at 2.4°C above normal and describes it as the highest on record.
Satellite comparisons show an expanded area of unusually warm water in the eastern Pacific. An animation explains the process: normally, trade winds help push warm surface water westward, while colder water rises in the east. When those winds weaken, warm water spreads east and El Niño develops.
For South Korea, the report identifies precipitation as a particular concern. Seoul National University professor Kuk Jong-seong says December precipitation exceeded twice its normal level during each of the three previous super El Niño episodes he cites.
The cold-air question is separate. Although El Niño winters tend to be warmer than average, the report says Arctic sea-ice loss can alter the conditions that keep cold air farther north. UNIST professor Lee Myeong-in explains that a weaker jet stream can take a more north-south path, allowing outbreaks of cold air toward the Korean Peninsula.
The warning is therefore not simply for a consistently colder winter. It is for abrupt cold spells and the possibility of localized heavy snow when that cold air encounters abundant moisture.
South Korea’s national weather service.
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💡 Test your knowledge
Which winds weaken in the report's explanation of how El Niño develops?
The report explains that weaker trade winds allow warm surface water to spread eastward across the tropical Pacific.