After nearly cancelling the annual Sapporo Snow Festival due to an unseasonably warm January, Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido has been slammed with record snowfall and plunging temperatures, according to multiple media reports.
Heavy snowfall has persisted since Monday night, leading to massive snowfall across Hokkaido Prefecture, especially in the eastern regions, including Kushiro and Obihiro. The latter saw 120 cm of snow fall in just 12 hours through noon on Tuesday, setting a new record.
Motorways and main roads across the prefecture were closed in response, bus and train services delayed or suspended, while dozens of flights in and out of Hokkaido were cancelled. Around 370 schools across Hokkaido cancelled classes on Tuesday, the snow also closing post offices and other services. Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that at least two people have died.
Intense winter storms like the one battering Hokkaido are more likely to occur as the climate warms. Even as regular seasonal snows become less reliable due to rising temperatures, the increased moisture in the atmosphere means that when snowstorms do hit, there’s a greater chance they will be record breakers.
[See more: Warmer winters are threatening one of Japan’s most popular Sakura trees]
This unprecedented snowfall is the result of two powerful low-pressure systems moving along either side of the Japanese archipelago, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The cold front had the biggest impact in the northern coastal regions, although a mass of cold air pushing westward also brought frigid temperatures to Shikoku and Kyushu. Some parts of Kyushu have seen temperatures plunge to below -12°C. The cold air mass is expected to persist until the weekend.
More snow was also forecasted to blanket the area in the 24 hours through 6 am Thursday, with Tohoku and Hokuriku expected to see another 100 cm, and an additional 70 cm in Gifu. Hokkaido and the regions of Kinki and Chugoku may have woken up to another 50 cm while Shikoku and northern Kyushu are expected to see another 40 cm of snowfall.Buses and railways expected to continue suspending services on some routes in affected areas, with many schools and businesses remaining closed.
