12 days ahead of average; sixth-earliest first snowfall on record since 1973
Earliest first snow on record fell Oct. 23, 1981
![Snow falls on the high-altitude area between Daecheong and Jungcheong peaks in Seoraksan National Park on Oct. 29, as temperatures in parts of Gangwon Province dropped below freezing. 2026.10.29 [Provided by Seoraksan National Park Office. Redistribution and DB prohibited] (Yonhap)](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/11/08/rcv.YNA.20261029.PYH2026102911670006200_P1.jpg)
Seoul received its first snowfall of the autumn season Sunday — 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the seasonal average, marking the sixth-earliest first snow on record.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a trough passing north of the Korean Peninsula brought rain and snow flurries to the Greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province Sunday morning, with the first snow officially recorded in Seoul during the weather system's passage.
Seoul's first snowfall is officially logged when an observer at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno-gu visually confirms snow falling.
This year's first snow arrived 26 days earlier than last year and 12 days ahead of the climatological average based on the 1991–2020 period.
It is the sixth-earliest first snowfall in Seoul since 1973, when the national weather observation network was expanded and became the standard reference for meteorological records.
The earliest first snow ever recorded in Seoul came in 1981, when flurries were observed on Oct. 23.
That was followed by Oct. 25, 1980; Oct. 30, 1997; Nov. 1, 1995; and Nov. 6, 2006, in order of earliest occurrence.
Seoul also saw its first snow on Nov. 8 in both 2002 and 2010. Under meteorological record-keeping rules, when dates are identical the more recent year takes the higher ranking — placing this year sixth on the all-time list.
Rain is expected to continue across the Greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province through Sunday, with some areas in northeastern Gyeonggi Province and inland and mountainous parts of Gangwon Province seeing rain or snow.
From the evening, rain will spread to northern South Chungcheong Province, central and northern North Chungcheong Province, and northern North Gyeongsang Province, with most precipitation expected to taper off by late night.
Scattered showers are also forecast for the Chungcheong region and Jeju from the afternoon through the night, and for central and southern North Gyeongsang Province later in the evening.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
