Record-setting snowfall slams parts of Japan
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Dec 28, 2021 12:20 PM EDT
|
Updated Dec 30, 2021 8:12 AM EDT
Heavy snowfall continued to hit northern and western Japan on Dec. 28 as residents removed snow from vehicles, roads and buildings.
A push of frigid air triggered days' worth of record-setting snowfall that buried portions of Japan and caused scores of travel disruptions along the way.
Snow first began late last week as Arctic air dove across northern China and rushed over the Sea of Japan.
The prefectures that border the Sea of Japan on Japan's largest island of Honshu were the hardest hit by the heavy snow. Meteorologists say that when the sea-effect snow machine roars to life for Japan, areas downwind of the Sea of Japan encounter bands of snow that lay down prolific amounts in a very short amount of time.
This was the case for several locations in the Shiga and Hyogo prefectures early this week.
In the Shiga Prefecture, the city of Hikone recorded 26.7 inches (68 cm) of snow in just a 24-hour period from early Sunday to early Monday. Farther west, the city of Asago in the Hyogo Prefecture was walloped by an astonishing 28 inches (71 cm) of snow over the same time period. For both cities, these were the greatest snowfall totals ever recorded in a 24-hour period, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Beyond the whopping 24-hour snowfall totals, enormous snow amounts over the course of several days have been reported in northern Honshu. As of Tuesday, a portion of the city of Aomori, located in the Aomori prefecture, had recorded a staggering 78.7 inches (200 cm) of snowfall since late last week.
Residents remove accumulated snow along a road in Fukui Prefecture, Sea of Japan, on Dec. 27, 2021. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun )
"The push of cold air that crossed the relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan led to widespread, heavy sea-effect snowfall across much of western Japan," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
The atmospheric processes at work to produce sea-effect snowfall in Japan are very similar to what triggers lake-effect snowfall in the United States, especially around the Great Lakes region, Pydynowski added.
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Snow managed to accumulate early in areas farther inland as well early this week. At least an inch of snow blanketed Nagoya, Japan, a city home to more than 2.2 million people. Snow also came down in portions of Kyoto and Hiroshima.
Snowfall of this magnitude led to major travel issues across much of the country over the holiday weekend and beyond.
Slick conditions led to multiple incidents including accidents and strandings on a few major roadways across the country.
An accident on the Maizuru-Waskasa Expressway in the Kyoto Prefecture left more than 20 cars stranded as snow piled up on Monday, according to Kyodo News. The West Nippon Expressway Co., the operator in charge of that section of roadway, was forced to close the expressway in both directions for several hours while the snow was removed.
Rail travel was also affected by the major storm. Heavy snow slowed travel on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, a high-speed rail line that connects Tokyo with Osaka, impacting thousands of commuters. Elsewhere, the West Japan Railway Company suspended services for 52 trains on Monday, connecting to several major cities on Honshu, according to Kyodo News.
Disruptive weather even dug its claws into air travel for a time. Between two major airline operators in Japan, ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines, nearly 130 flights were canceled on Sunday, affecting thousands of passengers according to CNN.
Japan's northern island of Hokkaido did not avoid impacts caused by the sea-effect snow this past weekend. Inbound and outbound flights along Hokkaido's western coast were canceled early this week as snow continued to fall. Train services were also disrupted on the island.
As of Monday, at least 10 people had been injured due to the snow over the holiday weekend, including two who sustained serious injuries related to snow clearing work, according to Kyodo News.
AccuWeather forecasters say the atmospheric pattern that allows for sea-effect snow is set to continue.
Additionally, the Japan Meteorological Agency has put avalanche watches into effect for a large swath of Honshu's western slopes into at least midweek.
"The high terrain across western Japan enhances snowfall across the region," Pydynowski said.
This enhanced snowfall means extremely heavy snowfall can develop and fall quickly, potentially disturbing the surface of mountainous areas near the coast.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Winter Weather
Record-setting snowfall slams parts of Japan
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Dec 28, 2021 12:20 PM EDT | Updated Dec 30, 2021 8:12 AM EDT
Heavy snowfall continued to hit northern and western Japan on Dec. 28 as residents removed snow from vehicles, roads and buildings.
A push of frigid air triggered days' worth of record-setting snowfall that buried portions of Japan and caused scores of travel disruptions along the way.
Snow first began late last week as Arctic air dove across northern China and rushed over the Sea of Japan.
The prefectures that border the Sea of Japan on Japan's largest island of Honshu were the hardest hit by the heavy snow. Meteorologists say that when the sea-effect snow machine roars to life for Japan, areas downwind of the Sea of Japan encounter bands of snow that lay down prolific amounts in a very short amount of time.
This was the case for several locations in the Shiga and Hyogo prefectures early this week.
In the Shiga Prefecture, the city of Hikone recorded 26.7 inches (68 cm) of snow in just a 24-hour period from early Sunday to early Monday. Farther west, the city of Asago in the Hyogo Prefecture was walloped by an astonishing 28 inches (71 cm) of snow over the same time period. For both cities, these were the greatest snowfall totals ever recorded in a 24-hour period, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Beyond the whopping 24-hour snowfall totals, enormous snow amounts over the course of several days have been reported in northern Honshu. As of Tuesday, a portion of the city of Aomori, located in the Aomori prefecture, had recorded a staggering 78.7 inches (200 cm) of snowfall since late last week.
Residents remove accumulated snow along a road in Fukui Prefecture, Sea of Japan, on Dec. 27, 2021. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun )
"The push of cold air that crossed the relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan led to widespread, heavy sea-effect snowfall across much of western Japan," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
The atmospheric processes at work to produce sea-effect snowfall in Japan are very similar to what triggers lake-effect snowfall in the United States, especially around the Great Lakes region, Pydynowski added.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Snow managed to accumulate early in areas farther inland as well early this week. At least an inch of snow blanketed Nagoya, Japan, a city home to more than 2.2 million people. Snow also came down in portions of Kyoto and Hiroshima.
Snowfall of this magnitude led to major travel issues across much of the country over the holiday weekend and beyond.
Slick conditions led to multiple incidents including accidents and strandings on a few major roadways across the country.
An accident on the Maizuru-Waskasa Expressway in the Kyoto Prefecture left more than 20 cars stranded as snow piled up on Monday, according to Kyodo News. The West Nippon Expressway Co., the operator in charge of that section of roadway, was forced to close the expressway in both directions for several hours while the snow was removed.
Rail travel was also affected by the major storm. Heavy snow slowed travel on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, a high-speed rail line that connects Tokyo with Osaka, impacting thousands of commuters. Elsewhere, the West Japan Railway Company suspended services for 52 trains on Monday, connecting to several major cities on Honshu, according to Kyodo News.
Disruptive weather even dug its claws into air travel for a time. Between two major airline operators in Japan, ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines, nearly 130 flights were canceled on Sunday, affecting thousands of passengers according to CNN.
Japan's northern island of Hokkaido did not avoid impacts caused by the sea-effect snow this past weekend. Inbound and outbound flights along Hokkaido's western coast were canceled early this week as snow continued to fall. Train services were also disrupted on the island.
As of Monday, at least 10 people had been injured due to the snow over the holiday weekend, including two who sustained serious injuries related to snow clearing work, according to Kyodo News.
AccuWeather forecasters say the atmospheric pattern that allows for sea-effect snow is set to continue.
Additionally, the Japan Meteorological Agency has put avalanche watches into effect for a large swath of Honshu's western slopes into at least midweek.
"The high terrain across western Japan enhances snowfall across the region," Pydynowski said.
This enhanced snowfall means extremely heavy snowfall can develop and fall quickly, potentially disturbing the surface of mountainous areas near the coast.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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