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Record-shattering heavy snow hits parts of Japan

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Image credit: Nakagawa186@Twitter

Heavy snow has been falling over Japan over the weekend, with some areas receiving record-breaking amounts. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the snow was brought by a wintry pressure pattern combined with cold air mass.

All-time 24-hour snowfall records were broken in Maibara City, Chiga Prefecture where 62 cm (24.4 inches) were recorded, and Sapporo City, Hokkaido with 60 cm (23.6 inches).

Both figures are the highest since comparable data became available in 2001 for Maibara and in 1999 for Sapporo.1

Total snow depth in Sapporo reached 133 cm (52.3 inches) on Sunday, February 6, 2022. The city's all-time record is 169 cm (66 inches) registered on February 13, 1939.

All trains to and from JR Sapporo Station have been suspended on Monday.

Sekigahara recorded 98 cm (38.6 inches) in 48 hours, also a record-breaking amount.

Image credit: NASA Aqua/MODIS. Acquired on February 7, 2022

The total accumulation through 19:00 LT on Sunday, February 6 reached 3.54 m (139.4 inches) in Niigata's Tsunan Town and 2.71 m (106.7 inches) in Nagano's Nozawaonsen Village. Both figures are the most for the municipalities in the past several years.

JMA warned people living in snowy locations to be on the alert for possible power outages, avalanches and other snow-related accidents.

Many areas in Japan have received greater-than-average amounts of snow this winter, NHK reports.

References:

1 Heavy snowfall covers wide areas of Japan – NHK

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