• Atmosphere
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-48
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• 2006

A classification of snowfall type based on development mechanism is proposed using previous snowfall studies, operational experiences, etc. Five types are proposed: snowfall caused by 1) airmass transformation (AT type), 2) terrain effects in a situation of expanding Siberian High (TE type), 3) precipitation systems associated with extratropical cyclones (EC type), 4) indirect effects of extratropical cyclones passing over the sea to the south of the Korean peninsula (ECS type), and 5) combined effects of TE and ECS types (COM type). Snowfall events during 1981-2001 are classified according to the 5 types mentioned above. For this, 118 events, with at least one station with daily snowfall depth greater than 20 cm, are selected. For the classification, synoptic weather charts, satellite images, and precipitation data are used. For TE and COM types, local sea-level pressure chart is also used to confirm the presence of condition for TE type (this is done for events in 1990 and thereafter). The classification shows that 109 out of 118 events can be classified as one of the 5 types. In the remaining 8 events, heavy snowfall occurred only in Ullung Island. Its occurrence may be due to one or more of the following mechanism: airmass transformation, mesoscale cyclones and/or mesoscale convergence over the East Sea, etc. Each type shows different characteristics in location of snowfall and composition of precipitation (i.e., dry snow, rain, and mixed precipitation). The AT-type snowfall occurs mostly in the west coast, Jeju and Ullung Islands whereas the TE-type snowfall occurs in the East coast especially over the Young Dong area. The ECS-type snowfall occurs mostly over the southern part of the peninsula and some east cost area (sometimes, whole south Korea depending on the location of cyclones). The EC- and COM-type snowfalls occur in wider area, often whole south Korea. Precipitation composition also varies with the type. The AT-type has a snow ratio (SR) higher than the mean value. The TE- and EC-type have SR similar to the mean. The ECS- and COM-type have SR values smaller than the mean. Generally the SR values at high latitude and mountainous areas are higher than those at the other areas. The SR value informs the characteristics of the precipitation composition. An SR value larger than 10 means that all precipitation is composed of snow whereas a zero SR value means that all precipitation is composed of rain.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.343-364
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• 2014

This study presents local and synoptic conditions associated with extreme heavy snowfall events in the Yeongdong region, as well as the temporal and spatial variability of these conditions. During the last 12 years (2001~2012), 3 extreme snowfall events occurred in the Yeongdong region, which recorded daily snowfall greater than 50 cm, respectively. In these events, one of the noticeable features is the occurrence of heavy hourly snowfall greater than 10 cm. It was reported from satellite analysis that these heavy snowfall may be closely related to mesoscale convective clouds. In this paper the 3 extreme events are examined on their synoptic environments associated with the developments of mesoscale convective system using numerical model output. These 3 events all occurred in strongly forced synoptic environments where 500 and 300 hPa troughs and 500 hPa thermal troughs were evident. From the analysis of diagnostic variables, it was found in all 3 events that absolute vorticity and cold air advection were dominant in the Yeongdong region and its surrounding sea at upper levels, especially at around 500 hPa (absolute vorticity: $20{\sim}60{\times}10^{-5}s^{-1}$, cold air advection: $-10{\sim}-20^{\circ}C$ $12hr^{-1}$). Moreover, the spatial distributions of cold advection showed mostly the shape of a narrow band along the eastern coast of Korea. These features of absolute vorticity and cold advection at 500 hPa were sustained for about 10 hours before the occurrence of maximum hourly snowfall.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1271-1281
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• 2009

The heavy snowfall event over the eastern part of Seoul, Korea on Mar. 04, 2008 has been abruptly occurred after the frontal system with the heavy snowfall event had been past over the Korean peninsula on Mar. 03, 2008. Therefore, this heavy snowfall event couldn't be predicted well by any means of theoretical knowledges and models. After the cold front passed by, the cold air mass was flown over the peninsula immediately and became clear expectedly except the eastern part and southwestern part of peninsula with some large amount of snowfall. Even though the wide and intense massive cold anticyclone was expanded and enhanced by the lowest tropospheric baroclinicity over the Yellow Sea, but the intrusion and eastward movement of cold air to Seoul was too slow than normally predicted. Using the data of numerical model, satellite and radar images, three dimensional analysis Products(KLAPS : Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System) of the environmental conditions of this event such as temperature, equivalent potential temperature, wind, vertical circulation, divergence, moisture flux divergence and relative vorticity could be analyzed precisely. Through the analysis of this event, the formation and westward advection of lower cyclonic circulation with continuously horizontal movement of air into the eastern part of Seoul by the analyses of KLAPS fields have been affected by occurring the heavy snowfall event. As the predictability of abrupt snowfall event was very hard and dependent on not only the synoptic atmospheric circulation but also for mesoscale atmospheric circulation, the forecaster can be predicted well this event which may be occurred and developed within the very short time period using sequential satellite images and KLAPS products.

• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.209-219
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• 2012

Extreme heavy snowfall episodes have been investigated in case of accumulated snowfall amount larger than 50 cm during the past ten years, in order to understand the association of low-level stability with heavy snowfall in the Yeongdong region. In general, the selected 4 events have similar synoptic setting such as the Siberian High extended to East Sea along with the Low passing by the southern Korean Peninsula, eventually inducing easterly in the Yeongdong region. Specifically moist-adiabatically neutral layer has been observed during the heavy snowfall period, which was easily identified using vertical profiles of equivalent potential temperature observed at Sokcho, whereas convective unstable layer has been formed over the East sea due to relatively warm sea surface temperature (SST) about $8{\sim}10^{\circ}C$ and lower temperature around 1~2 km above the surface, obtained from RDAPS. Difference of equivalent potential temperature between 850 hPa and surface as well as difference between air and sea temperatures altogether gradually increased before the snowfall period. Instability-induced moisture supply to the atmosphere from the East sea, being cooled and saturated by the upper cold surge, would make low-level ice cloud, and eventually move inland by the easterly flow. Heavy snowfall will be enhanced in association with low-level convergence by surface friction and upslope wind against Taebaek mountains. This study emphasizes the importance of low level stability in the Yeongdong region using the radiosonde sounding and RDAPS data, which should quantitatively be examined through numerical model as well as heat and moisture supply from the ocean.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.199-212
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• 2017

Rapid roadway snow removal is significantly important due to difficult occurrence estimation of heavy snowfall disasters by global warming and climate change. Local governments of S. Korea have snow removal equipments and vehicles based on past experiences without considering snowfall and roadway characteristics. The objective of this research is to develop the demand estimation procedure for snow removal equipments and vehicles based on regional snowfall and roadway characteristics. This research first classifies regional snowfall characteristics using KMO's ten-year snowfall data. Second, roadway snow removal length is computed for local governments. Real possession data is compared with demand estimation of snow removal equipments & vehicles for each local government with roadway snow removal scenarios. Finally, required demands of snow removal equipments & vehicles are predicted by concerning regional snowfall amount and required snow removal hours. Results from this research are used for developing heavy snowfall disaster management policies for optimal demands and snow removal routes of 229 local governments.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2002

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of heavy and frequent snowfall events on folk houses by selecting those where there are known as heavy or frequent snowfall regions over Korea as cases Youngdong regions is selected as a heavy snowfall region and Bogheung as a frequent snowfall region by analyzing the weather data. Also, actual observation data from the field survey, collected date from interview and some related documents have been analyzed. The folk houses where they locate in heavy or frequent snowfall regions have a concentrated type and a broad kitchen. The kitchen often occupies up about 30∼40% of the whole house and lot. The folk houses used for case studies have some facilities to protect them from heavy or frequent snowfalls. Teuruck in Youngdong regions and Kadaegi in Bogheung are good examples of those facilities. Also, the steeply slanting roofs are common in the heavy or frequent snowfall regions to keep snow from being piled up on them.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.421-431
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• 2021

The Yeongdong region is frequently vulnerable to heavy snowfall in winter in terms of societal and economical damages. By virtue of a lot of previous efforts, snowfall forecast has been significantly improved, but the performance of light snowfall forecast is still poor since it is very conducive to synoptic and mesoscale interactions, largely attributable to Taeback mountains and East Sea effects. An intensive observation has been made in cooperation with Gangwon Regional Meteorological Office and National Institute of Meteorological Studies in winter seasons since 2019. Two distinctive Cold Air Damming (CAD) events (14 February 2019 and 6 February 2020) were observed for two years when the snowfall forecast was wrong specifically in its location and timing. For two CAD events, lower-level temperature below 2 km ranged to lowest limit in comparisons to those of the previous 6-years (2014~2019) rawinsonde soundings, along with the stronger inversion strength (> 2.0℃) and thicker inversion depth (> 700 m). Further, the northwesterly was predominant within the CAD layer, whereas the weak easterly wind was exhibited above the CAD layer. For the CAD events, strong cold air accumulation along the east side of Taeback Mountains appeared to prevent snow cloud and convergence zone from penetrating into the Yeongdong region. We need to investigate the influence of CAD on snowfall in the Yeongdong region using continuous intensive observation and modeling studies altogether. In addition, the effect of synoptic and mesoscale interactions on snowfall, such as nighttime drainage wind and land breeze, should be also examined.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.269-282
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• 2019

While it is important to obtain the accurate information on snowfall data due to the increase in damage caused by the heavy snowfall in the winter season, it is not easy to observe the snowfall quantitatively. Recently, snow measurements using a weighing precipitation gauge have been carried out, but there is a problem that high snowfall intensity results in low accuracy. Also, the observed snowfall data are sensitive depending on wind speed, temperature, and humidity. In this study, a new process of quality control for snow water equivalent (SWE) data of the weighing precipitation gauge were proposed to cover the low accuracy of snow data and maximize the data utilization. Snowfall data (SWE) observed by Pluvio, Parsivel, snow-depth meter using laser or ultrasonic, and rainfall gauge in Cloud Physics Observation Site (CPOS) were compared and analyzed. Applying the QC algorithm including the use of number of hydrometeor particles as reference, the increased SWE per the unit time was determined and the data noise was removed and marked by flag. The SWE data converted by the number concentration of hydrometeor particles are tested as a method to restore the QC-removed data, and show good agreement with those of the weighing precipitation gauge, though requiring more case studies. The three events data for heavy snowfall disaster in Pyeongchang area was analyzed. The SWE data with improved quality was showed a good correlation with the eye-measured data ($R^2$ > 0.73).

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.1149-1154
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• 2022

The purpose of this research is to select representative observation stations for winter observation equipment performance tests and to present indoor and outdoor conditions for performance tests by considering snowfall, snowfall days, latitude, and altitude distribution for observation stations operated by the Korea Meteorological Administration. Using the snowfall data observed during the winter for 30 years (1981-2010), ten representative observation stations are selected to consider the classification of snowfall days by class, latitude, and altitude distribution of observation stations. As a result of analysis, the suitable point for outdoor experiments was selected as Daegwallyeong, the average number of snowfall days and snowfall days of 5cm or more were 57.5 and 13.2 days, respectively. The indoor experimental conditions are considered to be suitable under temperatures of -15 to 5℃ and humidity of 50% or higher. Results of this research can be used as basic information for conditions and test beds for performance tests of equipment that can respond to heavy snow disasters in winter.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.395-403
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• 2005

This study is focused on the relationship between snowfall and the Bowen’s Ratio (sensible heat flux/latent heat flux) through calculation of heat exchange between air and sea for snowfall events in Jeju Island from 1993 to 2003. The four weather stations for this study are located at Jeju, Seoguipo, Seongsanpo and Gosan in Jeju Island. In order to improve the reliability of snowfall forecast, the Bowen’s Ratio for snowfall, which includes influences from the atmosphere such as wind, is compared with the temperature difference between air and sea for snowfall. As a results, in the case for fresh snowfall, the minimum temperature differences between air and sea were 10, 12.3, 11.5, and $14.3^{\circ}C$ at Jeju, Seoguipo, Seongsanpo and Gosan, respectively. The probabilities of fresh snowfall were 26, 29, 13, and $23\%$, respectively, when the temperature differences were higher than the previous values. On the other hand, the minimum Bowen ratios were 0.59, 0.60, 0.65 and 0.65 at Jeju, Seoguipo, Seongsanpo and Gosan, respectively. The probabilities of fresh snowfall were 33, 70, 31 and $58\%$ respectively, when the Bowen ratio is higher than those. The reason for this is because the probability of fresh snowfall with the Bowen ratio was higher than the probability with temperature difference between air and sea. This result occurred because heat exchange by wind increased the probability of snowfall, along with the temperature difference between air and sea, and the Bowen ratio. Therefore, snowfall forecast of Jeju Island is significantly influenced by the sea, whereas forecast with Bowen ratio seems to have higher reliability than that with the temperature difference between air and sea. The data analysis for the ten-year period $(1993\~2002)$ showed that when each fresh snowfall was within 0.0 to 0.9cm, the average Bowen’s ratio was 0.63 to 0.67, and when each fresh snowfall was 1.0 to 4.9 cm, the average Bowen’s ratio was over 0.72. Therefore, fresh snowfall shows a proportional relationship with the Bowen’s ratio during snowfall.