The piercing cold snap will continue to grip the nation over the weekend with snow scattering across the Korean peninsula.

The cold will recede after Sunday, recovering the annual average, the state weather agency said Friday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the cold snap will be worst on Saturday, where temperatures are expected to fall below 6 degrees below zero in Seoul as well as below minus 8 degrees in Daegu and the northern Gyeongsang region. 

Snow will blanket western costal areas while Seoul and other regions will see sporadic snowfall. But the snow the east of the country, including Gangwon and North Gyeongsang provinces.

Winds and waves on seas all around the peninsula will be volatile and the KMA advised fishermen to take extra care.

On Friday, the KMA issued special snow warning for Gangwon Province as up to 57.7 centimeters of snow hit the region from Thursday through Friday. Donghae received 21.1 centimeters of snow on Thursday, its second highest December snowfall on record.

Roads were blocked and 64 schools in the region closed for the day. People left their cars on the roadsides and walked to work because no bus was available for use.

“Farmers with cattle or greenhouses should watch out for the snow’s putting extra strain on their facilities. They might collapse,” a KMA official said.

The temperature is expected to rise from Sunday afternoon to annual average. “We are expecting a colder winter with more snow than last year, which was also unusually cold. We will have more cold snaps this winter,” the official said.

By Bae Ji-sook

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)