Anchor: A cold snap gripped the nation on Monday morning as lows plunged to minus ten in some parts of the country. The national weather service expects the freeze to last through Wednesday.
Tom McCarthy tells us what to expect. 

Report: The country awoke to bitterly cold temperatures on Monday as the mercury fell to as low as minus ten.

The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) on Monday forecast sub-zero temperatures to continue into the afternoon at an average of ten degrees lower than Sunday, with six below forecast for Seoul.

Strong winds will make it seem even colder, prompting advisories for the western and southern coastal areas in South Jeolla Province and Jeju Island.

The frigid weather will be accompanied by snowfall in parts of the country, with the mountainous areas of Jeju expected to receive more than 30 centimeters until Tuesday, while the western region of North Jeolla and southern coastal areas of South Jeolla forecast to see more than 20 centimeters.

The KMA explained that high atmospheric pressure over western Mongolia and the Bering Sea is blocking the passage of air from west to east and a low pressure system sits over South Korea’s northeast, with a cold front driving through the two systems toward the country.

The weather agency explained that the arctic wave is similar to the chill that hit across the U.S. in the past week that caused more than 80 deaths.

Meanwhile, a continental anticyclone over northern China is gaining strength, causing cold northwesterly winds to encroach upon the peninsula.

The weather service projected the cold snap to remain through Wednesday, with daily temperatures to fall below the yearly average until Friday.

The freezing temperatures are likely to peak on Tuesday with lows between minus 18 and minus four degrees, giving way to daytime highs of minus nine to one degree across the nation.
Tom McCarthy, KBS WORLD Radio News.