This is due, in part, to a phenomenon called sea-effect snow. W hat happened: Beginning Monday, heavy snow hammered parts of Japan, particularly the northernmost main island, Hokkaido ...

Parts of Hokkaido have received all-time high snowfall ... Road closures may cause delays and cancelations. The heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast is caused by a Japan Sea polar air mass ...

Locals call this area a “sea of mega solar farms ... “The city is marked by little snowfall, whereas snow typically poses the gravest problem on Hokkaido,” the official said.

It will be rough at sea, and blizzard conditions on land ... for northern parts of the prefecture. Some roads in Hokkaido are blanketed in snow. Authorities are likely to issue heavy snow warnings ...

Obihiro city in Hokkaido recorded 124 centimeters ... especially on the Sea of Japan side. Heavy snow will fall mainly inland on the Pacific Ocean side of the Tokai, Shikoku and southern Kyushu ...

Dreaming of a ski trip to Japan? Make it a reality by following these tips and tricks, hiring the right guides, staying slopeside and snagging powder-ready gear.

“That super cold air will suck up the moisture from the Sea of Japan ... which is why Hokkaido gets the drier air and the drier snow,” says Ellis. The author enjoying the "white room" in ...