Heavy snow is expected to blanket parts of the nation today, particularly areas of the Sea of Japan coast from northern to western Japan, the Meteorological Agency said Tuesday.
The snow is expected due to a strong wintry pressure pattern, which may also cause high winds that could affect traffic, the agency warned.
Strong winds of up to 113.04 kph were recorded in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on Tuesday morning while Chiba in Chiba Prefecture saw gusts of up to 108 kph, the agency said.
The pressure pattern has a cold air mass of -39 at an altitude of 5,000 meters and is expected to become stronger Tuesday evening over northern Japan, the agency said.
By Wednesday morning, the snow is forecast to reach 30 cm to 40 cm in mountainous areas in the northern Kanto and Koshin regions, Tohoku and eastern Hokkaido, and 40 cm to 60 cm in the mountains of Hokuriku and northern Tokai.
Mountainous areas in the northern Kinki and Sanin regions may see a snowfall of 20 cm to 30 cm, the agency said, adding that the amount is likely to rise.