While most winter weather reports broadcast the likelihood of snow, wind or ice, meteorologists in Sapporo forecast the slipperiness of pavement to help pedestrians walk safely in the cold.

A certified forecaster at the Japan Weather Association, Fumiyoshi Kawamura, 47, takes turns with five colleagues to issue "tsuru-tsuru (slipperiness) forecasts" at 5 p.m. for each morning between December and mid-March.

The forecasts began in fiscal 2007 and are posted on the Walk Smart website of the Winter Life Promotion Council, an organization set up to serve Sapporo residents and visitors in the colder months of the year. They evaluate the expected slipperiness of pavement using three levels: "very slippery," "slippery" and "not so slippery."