A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system was unleashing heavy snow and strong winds across much of Japan, stretching from northern to western regions, with central Tokyo expected to see up to 1 centimeter of snow by Thursday morning.
The system — unusually strong for this time of year at minus 33 degrees Celsius or below at around 5,500 meters — is currently moving eastward near the Izu Islands, bringing gusts of 88 kilometers per hour to Hachijo Island just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Cold air aloft has fueled heavy snowfall along mountain ranges in the Kanto-Koshin and Chugoku regions, with temperatures dropping lower than expected. In the six hours leading up to 8 a.m. Wednesday, snowfall reached 26 cm in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture, 18 cm in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, 12 cm in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, and 10 cm in the city of Nagano and in Nasu Kogen, Tochigi Prefecture.
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