The Niigata University Research Institute for Disaster and Reconstruction Science has begun releasing this winter's ``Near-real-time Snow Depth Distribution Map,'' which records the snow distribution across the country and the difference in snow depth from the previous day on a map of Japan. The data as of 10 a.m. is updated around 9 a.m. every day, and detailed distribution maps of Hokkaido, Akita, Niigata, and Tottori prefectures, which have many areas with heavy snowfall, are also published.
According to the Niigata University Research Institute for Disaster and Reconstruction Science, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Japan Meteorological Agency, local governments, universities, and other organizations observe daily snowfall amounts at approximately 2,000 locations in Japan and publish the data on the web. The near-real-time snow depth distribution map automatically collects this data and color-codes it on the map.
In addition to the national version and distribution maps for the four prefectures, the national version, Niigata version, and Tottori version also publish snowfall amounts at 4-hour, 1-hour, and 1-hour intervals using hourly snow depth data.
As global warming due to climate change has emerged as a global issue, unusually heavy snowfall has become noticeable in Japan in recent years in heavy snowfall areas such as Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan side of Honshu. It is thought that as ocean temperatures rise due to global warming, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere increases, and when cold air from the continent approaches the Japanese archipelago, it absorbs water vapor and causes heavy snowfall.
As a result, many people die every year from falling accidents while clearing snow, and life in areas with heavy snowfall is adversely affected, with logistics being disrupted and daily necessities being delayed in some areas.
