On February 5-6, 2024, snow fell in Tokyo and the Kanto region, severely affecting transportation and other aspects of daily life. On the other hand, in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, dozens of centimeters of snow fall every year, but it has little impact on daily life. This difference has led to posts from the snow country side, such as, "Just that much heavy snow?" This difference has caused a stir on social networking sites, where people from the snow country side post things like, "Is that all it takes for you to get a big snowfall? Let's take a look at why this "snow country mount" occurs and what lies behind it.

Snowfall in Tokyo's 23 wards is really rare

When it snows in Tokyo, it is often reported as "heavy snow" on the news. According to statistics from the Japan Meteorological Agency, the average annual snowfall in the 23 wards of Tokyo is 8 cm, but this average also reflects the situation where it falls but does not accumulate, and this is the first time in two years that Tokyo has observed snow accumulating more than 1 cm. It is the first time in two years that Tokyo has observed snowfall of 1 cm or more.

When it snows, traffic in the city is disrupted. Trains are often suspended or delayed, and cars become stuck due to slipping or getting stuck. Many of you may have seen on the news the situation where a car slips on a snow-covered road surface and cannot climb a hill. On the other hand, in snow country, snowfall has little impact on daily life. The reason for this lies in the "preparation" for coexisting with snow.

What is "preparation" to coexist with snow?

For example, railroads always monitor snowfall conditions and remove snow from the tracks using snow removal trains and snow removal equipment. In Hokkaido, 1,100 snow removal crews work day and night to remove snow from the tracks inside stations.

Before the start of winter, car tires are changed to studless tires, which were developed to prevent slipping and sliding on snowy or icy roads and to ensure safe driving. Trucks and other vehicles that need to drive on snow-covered mountain passes are sometimes equipped with chains, which are more resistant to snowy roads than winter tires, and are installed during heavy snowfalls. They may also carry "ladders" that are placed between the tires and the snow to increase friction and help the vehicle escape when it gets "stuck" in the snow and cannot move forward or backward.

It is natural that it differs from region to region! With mutual understanding and respect.

It is natural that regions where snowfall is normal in this way and regions where snowfall is rare in this way have different experiences and responses to snow. With mutual understanding and respect, let's deal with snow well!

*Image is for reference only.

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