With record-breaking snowfall and a historic blizzard, its the coldest wave of the season in Japan.

The northern main island of Hokkaido seems to be the most affected region with significant traffic disruptions, stranded drivers, and school closures.

The extreme weather has prompted warnings from weather agencies, who have also predicted possible avalanche in the coming days.

Let’s take a closer look.

Heavy snow in Japan

According to the Hokkaido prefectural government, the massive snowfall has broken records and has especially affected the eastern parts of the island, such as Obihiro and Kushiro.

A record-breaking 129 centimetres (four feet) of snow fell in just 12 hours on Tuesday in Obihiro. Private weather forecaster Weathernews reports that the snowfall has exceeded records not seen since 1972.

In just 48 hours, the town of Shirakawa in Gifu prefecture received 129 centimetres of snow, a record amount, according to the meteorological agency.

In Joetsu, Niigata prefecture, and Honbestu, Hokkaido, snowfall reached about a metre in depth.

Temperatures have fallen below -12 degrees Celsius in Shikoku and Kyushu as a result of the cold air mass’s southward extension.

Snow is falling steadily in Kagoshima prefecture, and accumulations can be seen in the city centre’s grassy areas. Roads in mountainous regions have been observed to turn entirely white.

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Widespread disruption

In just a few hours, residents had to battle to remove cars that had been buried by snow.

Numerous calls from drivers whose cars got stuck in the snow have been sent to local authorities.

On television footage, residents were shown fighting the weather, clearing snow, and helping stranded drivers.

According to the prefecture, train services were halted in the impacted areas and portions of major roads and highways were closed.

Snow caused runway closures at Obihiro and Kushiro airports, and thousands of people were impacted by the cancellation of dozens of flights into and out of Hokkaido.

All Nippon Airways has cancelled 34 flights and Japan Airlines cancelled about 29 flights, affecting almost 5,800 people.

According to the prefecture, over 370 schools in Hokkaido cancelled classes on Tuesday.

Post offices and other distribution agencies were also forced to close due to the snow, which delayed delivery both inside Hokkaido and to other parts of Japan.

No serious injuries or significant damage have been reported despite the extensive interruption.

Officials in Hokkaido urged citizens and tourists to keep shovels and warm clothing in their cars in case they stall in the snow.

Sapporo’s snow festival

The harsh weather comes at the time of Sapporo’s famous snow festival in southern Hokkaido.

The festival has not been severely disrupted, but the island has clearly been affected.

Ironically, this year’s snow festival in Sapporo, where over 200 ice and snow sculptures were on exhibit this week, was anxiously planned due to unusually warm weather throughout January.

A snow sculpture of Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is covered with snow at the Sapporo Snow Festival, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Kyodo News/APA snow sculpture of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is covered with snow at the Sapporo Snow Festival, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Kyodo News/AP

In fact, in Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido, the snow barely covered the roadways when locals started making the sculptures last month.

As a result, organisers had to bring in enough snow from nearby towns to load 2,500 10-tonne trucks.

The finest designs are a 12-metre-tall recreation of the old Hokkaido prefectural government building and Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani and his dog Dekopin.

Citizen sculptors created about 80 per cent of the works.

What’s causing the snow?

The cold front was described by the weather service as the “strongest in several years.”

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, cold air is entering the Sea of Japan from two strong low pressure systems that are sweeping across the Japanese archipelago.

The JMA issued severe weather warnings for the next 24 hours until Wednesday: there could be up to 100 centimetres (3.2 feet) of snowfall in northwest Japan and 50 centimetres (1.6 feet) in Hokkaido.

Significant amounts of snowfall, even in areas along the Pacific coast where snowfall is uncommon, are expected in the upcoming days due to unusually unstable atmospheric conditions, according to the forecast service.

As the snow accumulation is likely to increase, the weather agency is also urging people to remain alert against avalanches and snow falling from roofs.

In areas where significant snowfall is predicted, officials advised residents to stay away from unnecessary activities.

Before departing, travellers are advised to check about the conditions with local tour operators.

The public is also being advised by the transport ministry to keep themselves updated and be ready for any travel cancellations or delays.

The transport ministry strongly suggests that people equip their cars with winter tires, carry snow chains, and store sand and shovels in case of emergencies.

With inputs from agencies

AloJapan.com