File:South Korea (MODIS 2018-02-16).jpg

English: A cold front sweeping across South Korea brought snow to the southwest section of the country and frigid air to the site of the Winter Olympics in early February 2018.

The first competition of the 2018 Olympics began on February 7. The opening ceremonies followed on February 9, when about 35,000 people shivered in bitterly cold temperatures at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, warmed by hats, lap blankets, and hand warmers provided by the venue. On February 11 winds were gusting so strongly that the men’s Alpine Downhill event and the women’s Giant Slalom were postponed. Gusts more than 35 mph (56.3 km/h) were reported. Media also reported temperatures cold enough to freeze ATMs and ice crystals so sharp that they damaged skis during the first days of the 23rd Winter Games.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of South Korea on February 7, 2018. A bright white swath of heavy fresh snow blankets the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. More snow covers the Taebaek Mountains in the northeast, not far from the Pacific Coast.

Pyeongchang is nestled in the Taebaek Mountains, a 22-million year old range that runs 500 kilometers (300 miles) near the Pacific Coast of South and North Korea. All of the skiing and snowboarding events, as well as the opening ceremonies, will be held in this area, which has a base elevation of about 700 meters (2,300 feet). Pyeongchang lies approximately 180 km (110 mile) east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.