Winter Olympics 2018: Snow may fall in PyeongChang during final weekend of competition

If persistent bands of snow set up, travel may become slow and slick in the mountains between Olympic Village and Gangneung Olympic Park on Saturday night into Sunday.
The strong winds and bitter cold that made headlines earlier in the Olympics will be absent this weekend.
Drier weather will return to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium before the closing ceremonies.
While strong winds and cold dominated weather headlines at PyeongChang, South Korea, during this Winter Olympics, snow is expected to fly during the final weekend of competition.

Friday will bring one more day of gusty winds to PyeongChang. While winds will not be as strong as last week, gusts of 9-13 m/s (20-30 mph) can lead to some delays for the conclusion of women's ski cross.

Isolated gusts to 18 m/s (40 mph) cannot be ruled out.

Calmer winds are expected for this weekend, but snow will return on Saturday night and Sunday.

Fans leave during a snow storm after the men's nordic combined team cross-country skiing event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)


At the Alpensia Olympic Park and the Alpine Centres, the snow may leave a fresh coating Saturday night into early Sunday.

Temperatures may be too high for snow that falls at the Gangneung Olympic Park to accumulate during this time. The only exception would be if there is a heavier burst of snow, which could allow roads and sidewalks to turn slushy briefly.

"During the midday and afternoon hours of Sunday, temperatures should rise enough to lead to mostly rain at the coast," AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty said.

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The greatest travel issues may arise in the mountains between Gangneung and PyeongChang.

If the snow is persistent, there can be enough accumulation that plows will be needed on the passes. Those traveling to compete in or watch the gold medal games for men’s ice hockey or women’s curling may encounter slick conditions.

Impacts will be limited if the snow is faster to sweep through the mountains and off the coast.

Regardless if the snow lingers longer in the mountains to the east, drier weather is expected to return to PyeongChang for the closing ceremonies on Sunday evening.

Spectators attending the open-air Olympic Stadium will want to bundle up as temperatures will be around 3 below zero C (27 F) during the ceremonies.

The good news is that harsh winds will be absent and will not lead to even lower AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures.

For those heading home from PyeongChang on Monday, high pressure will build overhead and allow dry weather to dominate South Korea. The only weather-related travel issue would arise if low-hanging clouds linger along the eastern coast, which may lead to flight delays.