Record-shattering heavy snow hits parts of Japan
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.
Record-shattering heavy #snow has hit parts of Japan. #Sapporo had 60cm of snow in 24 hours (Sat-Sun) making it the heaviest since records started in 1999. All trains to and from JR Sapporo Station have been suspended Monday pic.twitter.com/H8IX54eNga
— Sayaka Mori (@sayakasofiamori) February 7, 2022
Heavy #snow in #Japan !#Sapporo had a snow depth of 133 cm yesterday, one of the highest so early in Feb.
560 cm Charmant Hiuchi
550 cm Kiroro Snow W.
530 cm Yudonosan
529 cm Takogura
510 cm Geto Kogen
505 cm Shimooritate
500 cm Seki Onsen
439 cm Sukayu#Niigata @hepomodeler pic.twitter.com/Z8E28EqNC2— Thierry Goose (@ThierryGooseBC) February 7, 2022
天下の幹線道路、国道12号の歩道です。右側の山の向こうが車道です。
歩行者用の青信号が雪山で見えなくなってきました。#Sapporo #札幌 #大雪 pic.twitter.com/jHeDjsCoRA— まーさん！ (@masa_1618) February 6, 2022
今回の雪は、札幌人が経験したことのないレベルで、結構恐怖です。 pic.twitter.com/RP3e2wxd4E
— 中川 裕之／コピーライターとかとか (@nakagawa186) February 6, 2022
References:
1 Heavy snowfall covers wide areas of Japan – NHK
Featured image credit: Nakagawa186@Twitter
Thats what they get when the government messes with the weather!
Rise up against science, my tinfoil hat brothers! Al Gore and the climatologists are lizard people!