Record snowfall buries Hokkaido, Japan
Record snow has buried parts of the island of Hokkaido, Japan, this week. Obihiro received 47 inches (120 cm), setting a new record for 12-hour snowfall Monday night. In the same time period, Memuro reported 41 inches (105 cm).
The most recent snow is the result of a strong cold front, which dropped temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees below zero Celsius).
Heavy machinery (C) is used to clear a road as snow falls across northern Japan, in the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido prefecture on February 4, 2025. (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)
Flights were canceled, and many roads were closed on Tuesday in Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. In some parts of the country, an especially snowy winter continues. Aomori City is reported to have spent the largest budget ever for snow removal. At ARAI Snow Resort in Niigata Prefecture, the snow depth was 17.26 feet (526 cm) on Jan. 31.
Heavy machinery is used to clear a road as heavy snow falls across northern Japan, in the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido prefecture on February 4, 2025. (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)
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