Record Snowfall Hits Niigata.

While much of the world has seen record-high temperatures this year, northern and western Japan faced an old-school winter crisis this February as record-breaking snowfall blanketed the region. Satellite imagery from the Copernicus program captured the scale of the snow, which reached historic depths in Niigata Prefecture and along the Sea of Japan coast. The snow caused significant disruptions to the Shinkansen (bullet train) lines and resulted in dozens of injuries during snow-clearing operations. Despite the disruptions, the massive snowfall has been a boon for the Snow Country tourism industry. Local ski resorts in Hakuba and Myoko are reporting their best conditions in over a decade, drawing a record number of domestic tourists during the February long weekend.

©YovaniBernard