Quote:
Originally Posted by GoNative
Now this is a subject I know a little about 
I too love snow, really really love it. After spending a winter in BC many years ago I decided then I wanted to live somewhere where it snows, preferably to sea level. It is one of the main reasons that I decided to come live in Hokkaido.
Hokkaido receives the heaviest snowfalls to low levels in the world. Sapporo, the captial of Hokkaido and at sea level, averages around 6.3m of snowfall each winter making it the snowiest city with more than a million in population. The town I live in, Kutchan at only 178m above sea level, receives around 12m of snowfall each winter making it one of the snowiest towns on the planet (I haven't been able to find one with a higher average snowfall).
All of Hokkaido has below freezing average temperatures throughout the winter and snow to sea level but the heaviest snows are concentrated on the western side of the island and in the central mountains of Daisetsuzan.
Snow settles to sea level along the western side of Honshu most of the way down to Toyama. Further south than that snow at sea level occurs reasonably frequently but generally doesn't settle for long periods. Even Hiroshima gets occasional snowfalls through the winter but it doesn't last long on the ground. Elevated areas of Kyushu receive snow but it rarely falls to sea level. The elevated areas of the Japan Alps receive huge snowfalls, some areas getting 20m+ each winter.
With mountains right along the western side of Honshu forming a barrier to most of the snow bearing systems the eastern side of the island receives much less snow. Occasional low pressure systems do move up the eastern side and can bring snowfalls down to sea level about as far south as Yokohama. Elevated area of Shikoku also can receive some snow from such systems. Snowfalls to sea level on the eastern side are more frequent the further north you go and from around the northern areas of Fukushima and upwards snow can settle to sea level for some weeks on end.
All in all Japan has some of the most impressive snowfalls in the world. Up here in Hokkaido we receive similar quality and amounts of powder snow that they receive at famous powder resorts in Utah but at levels less than 1000m rather than 3000m+. A truly awesome place if you love snow and snow sports. |
The part I don't like about the snow is that there is a law that requires you to put on your snow tires 24 hours after the first snowfall (measurable) and you than can't take them off anymore until April. At least that was the law for us G.I.s stationed in Aomori back in the 80s. I hope it changed a bit, because if it doesn't snow for weeks after that, like it did when I was there, the studs on the tires would start heating up on the dry pavement and start burning the tires slowly. The stench was horrible!
I do also remember driving up many times to Towadako in Towada-Hachimantai Nat'l park and seeing 10-12 ft tall poles painted red and white, so, I could only assume, the snow-blowers know where to go! Lake Towada in the snow is absolutely beautiful!