Seoul to hit -1°C on CSAT day as ‘CSAT cold snap’ returns for first time in 6 years

[Financial News] The morning temperature in Seoul is forecast to drop to as low as -1°C on the 19th, when the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) will be held, bringing the first “CSAT cold snap” in 6 years. After rain falls nationwide through the day before the CSAT, cold northwesterly winds are expected to bring a sharp drop in temperatures, with subzero cold forecast mainly in central regions.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on the 12th, rain is forecast nationwide from the afternoon of the 17th through the morning of the 18th, the CSAT candidate briefing day, as a trough approaches from the northwest. After the rain stops, cold air is expected to move south, causing temperatures to drop sharply.
Seoul’s morning low is forecast to fall from 8°C on the 17th to 4°C on the 18th and -1°C on the 19th, the day of the CSAT. That amounts to a 9-degree drop in two days. The daytime high is also forecast to fall from 12°C on the 17th to 7°C on the 18th and 5°C on the 19th, with the cold expected to persist during the day when the exam is held.
In Daejeon, too, the morning low is forecast to fall from 8°C on the 17th to 1°C on the 19th. Strong winds are possible across most of the country on the day of the CSAT, and the wind chill is expected to be lower than the actual temperature.
If Seoul’s morning temperature falls below zero on the 19th as forecast, the CSAT will be held in subzero conditions for the first time in 6 years since 2020. When the 2021 CSAT was held on December 3, 2020, after being postponed by two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Seoul’s morning low was -1.1°C. Test-takers are advised to wear several layers of thin clothing along with a thick coat and prepare heat packs and other cold-weather supplies.
Marine weather could also affect test-takers’ travel. Strong cold northwesterly winds are expected on the 17th and 18th, bringing high waves across all seas. In particular, test-takers who need to travel by boat from island areas to test centers on the mainland should prepare for possible disruptions to ferry services. The KMA said marine conditions could also vary depending on the speed and strength of the trough’s movement.
However, the weather around the CSAT date remains subject to considerable change. The timing of the rain and temperatures could vary depending on the position, speed and strength of the trough approaching from the northwest. The KMA plans to hold an additional briefing on the CSAT-day weather on the 17th.
[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter