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Even Japan's snowiest towns are overflowing with record snow
Capital Weather Gang
Even Japan’s snowiest towns are overflowing with record snow
Central and northern Japan have seen record snowfall, with some locations recording as much as 12 feet.
NOAA-20 captured this image of a bomb cyclone passing over Japan on Monday. “Snow streets” pointed from the northwest to the southeast indicate areas where snow bands were forming off the Sea of Japan. (NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview)
By Ian Livingston
Yesterday at 4:34 p.m. EST
On Japan’s main island of Honshu, a bird can fly from sunny beaches to mountain landscapes in only a few dozen miles. The unusual proximity of tall mountains and an open ocean — and the sea-to-atmosphere temperature contrast — are what snowflake dreams are made of.
Even in a region that normally sees snow pile up, recent bouts of extraordinary snowfall have astounded locals accustomed to whiteouts. Late February snow depths are surpassing 15 feet in spots, which is enough for modern records to be tested and bested. A big chunk of that came in a recent storm that delivered as much as 12 feet over the course of several days, ending earlier this week.
Record snow has been a common story for parts of Japan since November. Round after round of intense wintry weather has caused numerous disruptions in regions that know big snow. And the onslaught is not about to end.
{snip picture of snow in Tokyo}
What’s with Japan and heavy snow?
The Japanese Alps are made up of several mountain chains bisecting the country to the northwest of Tokyo, with some peaks up to 10,000 feet. A three-hour drive from the city, a unique set of geographical features comes together to deliver some of the world’s biggest snowfalls. The Olympics were held there in 1998.
{snip}
By Ian Livingston
Ian Livingston is a forecaster/photographer and information lead for the Capital Weather Gang. By day, Ian is a defense and national security researcher at a D.C. think tank. Twitter https://twitter.com/islivingston
Even Japan’s snowiest towns are overflowing with record snow
Central and northern Japan have seen record snowfall, with some locations recording as much as 12 feet.
NOAA-20 captured this image of a bomb cyclone passing over Japan on Monday. “Snow streets” pointed from the northwest to the southeast indicate areas where snow bands were forming off the Sea of Japan. (NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview)
By Ian Livingston
Yesterday at 4:34 p.m. EST
On Japan’s main island of Honshu, a bird can fly from sunny beaches to mountain landscapes in only a few dozen miles. The unusual proximity of tall mountains and an open ocean — and the sea-to-atmosphere temperature contrast — are what snowflake dreams are made of.
Even in a region that normally sees snow pile up, recent bouts of extraordinary snowfall have astounded locals accustomed to whiteouts. Late February snow depths are surpassing 15 feet in spots, which is enough for modern records to be tested and bested. A big chunk of that came in a recent storm that delivered as much as 12 feet over the course of several days, ending earlier this week.
Record snow has been a common story for parts of Japan since November. Round after round of intense wintry weather has caused numerous disruptions in regions that know big snow. And the onslaught is not about to end.
{snip picture of snow in Tokyo}
What’s with Japan and heavy snow?
The Japanese Alps are made up of several mountain chains bisecting the country to the northwest of Tokyo, with some peaks up to 10,000 feet. A three-hour drive from the city, a unique set of geographical features comes together to deliver some of the world’s biggest snowfalls. The Olympics were held there in 1998.
And that’s a wrap! Over the last 48hrs, I measured an astounding 165cm or 5ft 5in of snow in Yuzawa. I arrived after the snow started and left before it stopped. I’m sure the locals are looking forward to spring #japan
Link to tweet
{snip}
By Ian Livingston
Ian Livingston is a forecaster/photographer and information lead for the Capital Weather Gang. By day, Ian is a defense and national security researcher at a D.C. think tank. Twitter https://twitter.com/islivingston
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