‘Remarkably’ Heavy Snow Expected in Fukui Pref.; Large-Scale Traffic Disruption Feared

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:49 JST, January 24, 2024

“Remarkably” heavy snowfall is expected in Fukui Prefecture on Wednesday, with 36 cm of snowfall observed in Katsuyama, 26 cm in Echizen during the six hours to 3 a.m. on the day, as well as 30 cm in Tsuruga during the six hours to 6 a.m., according to the Fukui District Meteorological Observatory.

There is a heightened risk of large-scale traffic disruptions, the Fukui observatory said in its weather advisories.

A low-pressure system is gaining strength and is expected to pass near Hokkaido. The area around Japan is expected to gradually develop a strong winter pressure pattern, according to an announcement issued before 5 a.m. on Wednesday by the Niigata District Meteorological Observatory. The strongest cold air of this winter so far, with temperatures below minus 39 C, will flow above the Hokuriku region at 5,500 meters, making the atmospheric conditions extremely unstable.

The Niigata observatory issued an alert for traffic disruptions due to the heavy snow expected late Wednesday night. It also called for caution that houses damaged by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake may collapse due to the weight of snow on them.