Storm blankets Tokyo with a year's worth of snow in a day
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 6, 2022 11:11 AM EST
|
Updated Jan 7, 2022 6:00 AM EST
Tokyo, Japan, received its first snowfall of the year on Jan. 6, with heavy snow coating the city, forcing a heavy snow warning to be issued for the city for the first time in years.
A storm clipped Tokyo, Japan, with accumulating snowfall Thursday, local time, prompting the country's weather agency to issue the area's first heavy snowfall warning in years and creating picturesque wintry scenes throughout the capital, along with travel disruptions.
A total of 3.9 inches (10 cm) of snow fell across central Tokyo, which was the most snow in the city since 2018 and the 10th heaviest snow in January since records began in 1876. To put this event into context, the region averages about 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of snow each year.
"Tokyo mainly gets minor snow events most winters," AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said, adding that the city picked up 8 inches (20 cm) of snow during the last big storm in January 2018. It was during that event that the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) last issued a heavy snowfall warning for Tokyo.
Scenes throughout the city captured residents walking with umbrellas through the streets to shield themselves from the falling snow as roads and sidewalks were blanketed in white. Slippery conditions led to over 200 people, ranging in age from 9 to 97, being sent to local hospitals due to slip and fall accidents, according to Kyodo News.
Treacherous conditions were reported on area roadways, with nearly 80 traffic accidents resulting in injuries across the Tokyo area, Kyodo News reported. Northeast of Tokyo in the Ibaraki prefecture, nearly 300 accidents had occurred as of Friday morning, local time. At one point during the storm, 100 vehicles were left stranded on the Tokyo Gate Bridge as the snow came down steadily.
About 100 domestic flights at Haneda and Narita airports were canceled by 4 p.m. Thursday, local time, which affected around 9,000 passengers, according to The Japan Times.
Some of the region's high-speed rail lines were also impacted, with delays reported on the Tokaido Line and others, according to the East Japan Railway Company.
The JMA cautioned in their heavy snowfall warning for Tokyo that icy roads and travel disruptions would be possible.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The cities of Chiba and Yokohama also reported accumulating snowfall of around 3 inches (8 cm). A mixture of rain and snow was reported all the way to the coastal cities of Tateyama and Katsuura in the Chiba prefecture, but no snowfall accumulation was noted.
Japan's Pacific coast typically receives far less snowfall than areas bordering the Sea of Japan, where sea-effect snow contributes to higher snowfall totals annually. The right combination of cold air in place and a storm skirting just to the south of Tokyo led to Thursday's wintry scenes.
"There can be a similar type setup Sunday night into Monday morning with a system passing to the south, but temperatures look to be higher so if there is any precipitation it should be rain," Nicholls said.
"There may be just enough cold air in the northern suburbs of Tokyo for some wet snow to mix with rain Sunday night into Monday morning, but precipitation amounts look light. In downtown Tokyo and toward the coast, it still looks too warm for snow," Nicholls added.
Residents who enjoy the snow should take advantage of it while it's still on the ground as forecasters say a quick melt is likely. Temperatures are expected to climb near 50 F (10 C) during the daytime hours into the weekend.
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.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Storm blankets Tokyo with a year's worth of snow in a day
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 6, 2022 11:11 AM EST | Updated Jan 7, 2022 6:00 AM EST
Tokyo, Japan, received its first snowfall of the year on Jan. 6, with heavy snow coating the city, forcing a heavy snow warning to be issued for the city for the first time in years.
A storm clipped Tokyo, Japan, with accumulating snowfall Thursday, local time, prompting the country's weather agency to issue the area's first heavy snowfall warning in years and creating picturesque wintry scenes throughout the capital, along with travel disruptions.
A total of 3.9 inches (10 cm) of snow fell across central Tokyo, which was the most snow in the city since 2018 and the 10th heaviest snow in January since records began in 1876. To put this event into context, the region averages about 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of snow each year.
"Tokyo mainly gets minor snow events most winters," AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said, adding that the city picked up 8 inches (20 cm) of snow during the last big storm in January 2018. It was during that event that the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) last issued a heavy snowfall warning for Tokyo.
Scenes throughout the city captured residents walking with umbrellas through the streets to shield themselves from the falling snow as roads and sidewalks were blanketed in white. Slippery conditions led to over 200 people, ranging in age from 9 to 97, being sent to local hospitals due to slip and fall accidents, according to Kyodo News.
Treacherous conditions were reported on area roadways, with nearly 80 traffic accidents resulting in injuries across the Tokyo area, Kyodo News reported. Northeast of Tokyo in the Ibaraki prefecture, nearly 300 accidents had occurred as of Friday morning, local time. At one point during the storm, 100 vehicles were left stranded on the Tokyo Gate Bridge as the snow came down steadily.
About 100 domestic flights at Haneda and Narita airports were canceled by 4 p.m. Thursday, local time, which affected around 9,000 passengers, according to The Japan Times.
Some of the region's high-speed rail lines were also impacted, with delays reported on the Tokaido Line and others, according to the East Japan Railway Company.
The JMA cautioned in their heavy snowfall warning for Tokyo that icy roads and travel disruptions would be possible.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The cities of Chiba and Yokohama also reported accumulating snowfall of around 3 inches (8 cm). A mixture of rain and snow was reported all the way to the coastal cities of Tateyama and Katsuura in the Chiba prefecture, but no snowfall accumulation was noted.
Japan's Pacific coast typically receives far less snowfall than areas bordering the Sea of Japan, where sea-effect snow contributes to higher snowfall totals annually. The right combination of cold air in place and a storm skirting just to the south of Tokyo led to Thursday's wintry scenes.
"There can be a similar type setup Sunday night into Monday morning with a system passing to the south, but temperatures look to be higher so if there is any precipitation it should be rain," Nicholls said.
"There may be just enough cold air in the northern suburbs of Tokyo for some wet snow to mix with rain Sunday night into Monday morning, but precipitation amounts look light. In downtown Tokyo and toward the coast, it still looks too warm for snow," Nicholls added.
Residents who enjoy the snow should take advantage of it while it's still on the ground as forecasters say a quick melt is likely. Temperatures are expected to climb near 50 F (10 C) during the daytime hours into the weekend.
In other news:
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.
Report a Typo