Traffic is seen backed up on National Route 8 in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone on Dec. 27, 2021, in this photo taken from a Mainichi helicopter. (Mainichi)

       A truck is seen stuck in snow in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone on Dec. 27, 2021, in this photo taken from a Mainichi helicopter. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO -- Many areas on the Sea of Japan side of the country from northern through western Japan are expected to be hit with heavy snow through Dec. 28, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned, after a winter weather pattern left the northern Kinki region in western Japan blanketed with snow on Dec. 26, disrupting transportation.

       The agency said a cold air mass with a temperature of minus 45 degrees Celsius or lower at an altitude of 5,000 meters had moved over northern Japan, while the mass over areas from eastern through western Japan at the same altitude had a temperature of minus 27 C or lower. The agency said the strong winter pattern was likely to bring extremely unstable atmospheric conditions mainly to the Sea of Japan side of the country.

       Over the 24-hour period through 6 a.m. on Dec. 28, the agency said up to 90 centimeters of snow could fall in central Japan's Hokuriku region, followed by up to 80 centimeters in the Tokai region in central Japan and the Kinki region, up to 60 centimeters in the Tohoku region in northeast Japan, and up to 50 centimeters in the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern and central Japan. The Chugoku, northern Kyushu, Shikoku and southern Kyushu regions in western and southwestern Japan were expected to receive maximum snowfall ranging between 5 and 40 centimeters, the agency said.

       The agency attributed the heavy snow to a "Japan sea polar air mass convergence zone" where cold air flowing from the north over the Korean Peninsula splits into east and west, and then converges on the Sea of Japan side of Japan to create clouds.

       The bed of the Asuwa River in the central Japan prefecture of Fukui is seen covered in snow on the morning of Dec. 26. (Mainichi/Tatsuo Eto)

       By the morning of Dec. 27, the city of Hikone in the western Japan prefecture of Shiga had recorded 68 centimeters of snow over 24 hours, the highest figure on record. Record snowfall of 71 centimeters was also recorded in the Hyogo Prefecture city of Asago in western Japan over the period. According to the Shiga National Highway Office and other sources, a large truck got caught in snow on Route 8 in the city at around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, causing traffic to back up for more than 2 kilometers, and the congestion had yet to be eased as of 10 a.m.

       The agency warned of traffic disruptions caused by snow and ice on roads, and also called for people to be on their guard against avalanches, and snow on electrical wires and trees. It warned of people in heavily affected areas to refrain from going out unnecessarily.

       The snow forced the cancellation of 69 limited express trains operated by West Japan Railway Co. between the Keihanshin metropolitan area of western Japan and the northern Kinki region and the Sanin region in the southwest of Japan's main island of Honshu. JR West additionally decided on the suspension of 48 limited express trains between the areas by the morning of Dec. 27.

       (Mainichi)

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