Meteorological  Disasters

What is the heavy snow?

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        Heavy snow is falling as a large amount of snow in short space of time, usually it refers to the phenomenon that the snow fall at a rate of 1 to 3 centimeters per hour or 5 to 20 centimeters per 24-hour period. ​

    The heavy snow is attributed to clusters of clouds carrying snow being pushed over the Korean peninsula by a cold front blowing from the northwest named Siberian anticyclone. In general, snowfall is concentrated on the west coast in December and on the east coast in January and February. Other factors include upper-level trough chill on the edge of the anticyclone passing through the Korean peninsula.

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Heavy snow alert?

 

   A heavy snow warning is a weather warning issued by KMA(Korea Meteorological Administration) during times when a high rate of snowfall was occurring or was forecast. Generally, the heavy snow advisory will be issued when the amount of fresh snow cover reaches 5 centimeters or more in 24 hours. And the heavy snow warning will be issued when the amount of fresh snow cover reaches 20 centimeters or more in 24 hours. But in the case of mountain regions, it will be issued when the amount of fresh snow cover reaches 30 centimeters or more.

     Difference in concept between fresh snow cover and snowdrifts depends on the time. The fresh snow cover refers to the depth of the snowdrift piled up over a 24-hour period, and the snowdrift is a sum of the depth of snow that piled up over a few days.