Following the weather is one of my preferred ways of wasting time. I've been watching our remarkable winter unfold on weather.com--not the best for predicting Korean weather, but I think they record what's happened accurately. According to their numbers, Seoul has not been above freezing since December 23rd. There was one day in January that reached 32 F, so maybe on that day in someone's armpit it got above freezing, but that's it. I've been crossing my fingers for the past few days in hopes that we would make it all of January without topping 32 F (not because I like cold, but because that's awesome), and as it's now after midnight here on February 1, it's official. We've spent a complete calendar month, and a few days leading up to it, at or below freezing. And things are working out perfectly, because, that done, it's supposed to get up close to 40 F this afternoon.
Just how does winter in Korea compare to winter elsewhere? Grading is something I never have to do as a teacher here, so I decided to sharpen my math skills and practice using Excel by crunching the numbers weather.com gives for several locations. I chose to include Chicago because it's a reference for a cold place to many Americans, and San Francisco because it's at the same latitude as Seoul. Gainesville, FL, and Colorado Springs feature because those are the two places I lived most recently before coming to Korea. The remaining two are just for added interest and to prove a point.
Because January is still finishing up in the West, I am using the data for December 24 through January 30 (38 days total). Abandoning the paragraph format, here's what I found:
Seoul
- Average high: 24.5 F
- Average low: 13.9 F
- Maximum: 32 F
- Minimum: 1 F
- Days with high above freezing: 0
- Days with low at or below freezing: 38
Chicago
- Average high: 30 F
- Average low: 17.9 F
- Maximum: 56 F
- Minimum: -1 F
- Days with high above freezing: 9
- Days with low at or below freezing: 36
San Francisco
- Average high: 55.7 F
- Average low: 44.7 F
- Maximum: 64 F
- Minimum: 36 F
- Days with high above freezing: 38
- Days with low at or below freezing: 0
Gainesville
- Average high: 64.2 F
- Average low: 37.3 F
- Maximum: 79 F
- Minimum: 22 F
- Days with high above freezing: 38
- Days with low at or below freezing: 11
Colorado Springs
- Average high: 42.7 F
- Average low: 16.6 F
- Maximum: 65 F
- Minimum: -8 F
- Days with high above freezing: 33
- Days with low at or below freezing: 37
Chicken, AK
- Average high: -.4 F
- Average low: -15.8 F
- Maximum: 36 F
- Minimum: -48 F
- Days with high above freezing: 1
- Days with low at or below freezing: 38
Base Bernardo O'Higgins, Antarctica
- Average high: 38 F
- Average low: 31.2 F
- Maximum: 49 F
- Minimum: 27 F
- Days with high above freezing: 37
- Days with low at or below freezing: 28
Conclusion
South Korea is the coldest place ever! While Chicago, Colorado Springs, and Chicken have all experienced extremes cooler than Seoul, only Seoul has remained below freezing for that entire span of time. Also, Seoul's high and low averages are cooler than those for Chicago and Colorado Springs (both continental and further north), and 30 degrees cooler than its counterpart's in latitude, San Fran. Even Antarctica can't compete. Whenever I would think about it, I used to feel sorry for all the scientists who have to live down there, but apparently they got it good. I know it's their summer, and the base I used is on Antarctica's arm, but I don't care. I'd be better off going there for my vacation next winter, if I'm still here.
Why is it so cold here? Because Siberia had to go and put itself upwind of the winter jet stream that blows over us, or something.
I've read that winter in Seoul is comparable to that of New York City. Definitely not this year. Be ye warned, if you're thinking about moving here.
-Koryan
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