A powerful cold front has brought heavy snowfall along the Sea of Japan coast and to other areas, claiming at least four lives and prompting authorities to caution people against nonurgent outings through Friday.
According to the Meteorological Agency, mountains in Niigata Prefecture are forecast to receive 80 centimeters of snow over 24 hours through 6 a.m. Friday, and mountains in Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures are set to see 70 cm. In Ishikawa Prefecture, residents are still recovering from the earthquake a year ago, coupled with heavy rain last summer.
The 24-hour snowfall through early Thursday totaled in various regions included 53 cm in the village of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture; 49 cm in the city of Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture; and 48 cm in the town of Kaneyama in Fukushima Prefecture.
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