Record Snow Strikes Southeastern Hokkaido

   Obihiro, Hokkaido, Feb. 4 (Jiji Press)--The southeastern part of Hokkaido saw record snow from Monday evening to Tuesday morning as a developing low-pressure system over the Sea of Japan approached the northernmost Japan prefecture.
   The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy snow warning for Hokkaido's Tokachi region.
   The city of Obihiro in the region recorded 85 centimeters of snowfall in the six hours through 5 a.m. Tuesday and 120 centimeters in the 12 hours through 9 a.m. Snowfall reached 105 centimeters in the neighboring town of Memuro in the 12 hours through 8 a.m. and 104 centimeters in the town of Honbetsu, also in the region, in the 12 hours through 10 a.m. All figures are the highest amounts recorded ever in the respective municipalities.
   The Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway and most of the Doto Expressway were closed, while Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, decided to suspend services on its Senmo and Nemuro lines for the whole of Tuesday. Flights to and from Tokachi Obihiro Airport the same day were canceled.
   According to the meteorological agency's Obihiro Weather Station, the heavy snow was caused by the low-pressure system from the Sea of Japan as well as the fact that moist air flowed into the Tokachi region after another low-pressure system, located to the east of Hokkaido, moved northward.

(2025/02/04-13:12)

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