A rainstorm and snowstorm are in the forecast nationwide on Tuesday, two days before the spring equinox, when the sun is directly above the equator and day and night are of equal length.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain or snow is expected in the capital region and central South Chungcheong Province starting Monday night, due largely to the passage of a low-pressure system over the Yellow Sea. 
 
Up to five centimeters of snow per hour are forecast in the mountains of eastern Gangwon Province and along the eastern coast, with at least ten centimeters per hour in some regions, accompanied by gusts of wind, thunder and lightning.

Up to 40 centimeters are expected in Gangwon's mountainous areas, up to 20 centimeters in the mountains and coastal areas of North Gyeongsang, and up to 15 centimeters in the capital region and nearby Gyeonggi Province.

Heavy snowfall alerts have been issued for the capital region, Gangwon, North Chungcheong, Daejeon, Sejong, North Gyeongsang, Daegu, Ulsan, and parts of South Chungcheong, Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces.

The precipitation is forecast to expand to most areas of the country by Tuesday, before subsiding in the capital area and southwestern Jeolla region by late afternoon Tuesday. 

Amid a cold snap, morning lows on Tuesday are expected to range between minus three and three degrees Celsius, before daytime highs rise to between three and nine degrees.