Hidaka, Hokkaido ¨C Despite Japan¡¯s ski resorts having a reputation for deep powder, you would be mistaken to assume that the country¡¯s snow falls exclusively in the mountains.
Throughout the winter, it¡¯s common for frigid northwesterly winds to sweep down from Siberia, picking up moisture as they pass across the warm Sea of Japan. When these winds make landfall in Japan, they are released as precipitation that blankets cities from Hokkaido down to Shimane Prefecture, often in residential areas and even at sea level.
Just last week, a severe blizzard in Hokkaido limited visibility to just a handful of meters and canceled 126 flights. And just as countless people were hitting the road on Jan. 2 to return from new year travels, snow swept across much of the Sea of Japan coast ¡ª in the seaside town of Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, 59 centimeters of the fluffy stuff fell in just 24 hours.
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