Hokkaido, Japan, is buried under an astonishing amount of snow, and it just keeps coming. The city of Obihiro saw a record-breaking snowfall of 47 inches—almost four feet—in just 12 hours. By the end of the day, nearly two more inches had fallen, and the storm hasn’t let up since.
Pictures of the scene are jaw-dropping. Snowdrifts tower over people, making roads nearly impossible to navigate. Travel has come to a standstill—many highways are blocked, train service has been shut down in several areas, and dozens of flights have been canceled, leaving thousands stranded.
The chaos isn’t just affecting travelers. Around 370 schools were forced to close, and many post offices and delivery centers halted operations, disrupting mail and shipments across Japan. Officials are urging residents to stay inside if possible. For those who must go out, they’ve advised using snow tires and chains and keeping shovels and sand in vehicles in case they get stuck. Another big concern? Massive piles of snow sliding off rooftops, creating an avalanche-like danger.
So, what’s causing this relentless snowstorm? It’s all thanks to an intense low-pressure system hovering over northern Japan. This region is known for some of the world’s heaviest snowfall, and here’s why: Ice-cold air from Siberia sweeps across the warmer waters of the Sea of Japan, creating powerful snow bands that dump enormous amounts of snow on land.
Meteorologists compare it to the lake-effect snow seen in the U.S., but on a much larger scale. When this weather pattern locks into place, it can last for days, leading to nonstop snowfall in certain areas. And this time, the snow isn’t expected to stop anytime soon—forecasters predict even more heavy snowfall through early next week.
For a bit of perspective, Japan holds some wild snowfall records. Weather historian Christopher Burt points out that the deepest snow ever measured in the Northern Hemisphere was an unbelievable 466 inches—over 38 feet—recorded in 1927 on Mt. Ibuki, which sits at about 5,000 feet above sea level.
With the snow continuing to pile up, Hokkaido residents are bracing for even more challenges in the days ahead.
