• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.42-51
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• 2017

Snowfall is an important natural hazard in Korea. In recent years, the socioeconomic importance of impact-based forecasts of meteorological phenomena have been highlighted. To further develop forecasts, we first need to analyze the climatic characteristics of each region. In this study, homogeneous regions for snowfall analysis were classified using a self-organizing map for impact-based forecast and warning services. Homogeneous regions of snowfall were analyzed into seven clusters and the characteristics of each group were investigated using snowfall, observation days, and maximum snowfall. Daegwallyeong, Gangneung-si, and Jeongeup-si were classified as areas with high snowfall and Gyeongsangdo was classified as an area with low snowfall. Comparison with previous studies showed that representative areas were well distinguished, but snowfall characteristics were found to be different. The results of this study are of relevance to future policy decisions that use impact-based forecasting in each region.