The first snowflakes of the winter season fell in Sapporo on Sunday, the latest November snowfall in over 120 years, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Sapporo's first snowfall is an important event in the city's tourist calendar. The latest recorded snowfall was Nov 20, some 122 years ago in the Meiji era.
Although the first snowfall had been eagerly awaited by Sapporo locals whose businesses rely on the tourist season, the snow did result in road closures in Hokkaido and delayed flights at New Chitose Airport.
© Japan Today
22 Comments
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basroil
This is hardly news, since practically all the snow is gone and not a single cloud in the sky to protect or replenish what little is left.
warispeace
This is important news as it is further evidence (do we really need any more to get corporations and governments to take serious action?) that man-made climate change is occurring and one of the foundational contradictions of capitalism, that of perpetual economic growth on a finite planet, can no longer be managed.
nath
Climate change is a fact. The why and how is still being debated.
warispeace
@AKBfan
Enough of the debate, as 90 some percent of scientists have identified the man-made causes. The real issue is whether people in wealthy countries are willing to change to a less consumptive way of living and whether humans care at all about posterity. How we address this issue will show whether we are a destructive or a symbiotic parasite.
davestrousers
Last week's news alone is enough to settle that issue: US is set to become the world's largest oil producer again due to fracking... Japan is considering a gas pipeline from Russia... BP considering working with Gazprom on a pipeline to the UK.
The problem is that anything we do now wouldn't have any effect for decades. Humans aren't wired to think about changing their daily actions based on what will happen after they are dead.
Arthur C Clarke's quote comes to mind: "Its yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value". Qualify that with long-term survival and I'd say he was spot on.
sidesmile
Not important news. If it suddenly wasnt snowing up there until january that would be proof of something..maybe. When people are constantly whingeing i'ts too hot, then you know its summer. Lull in whingeing = autumn. Constantly whingeing it's too cold = winter. Reeling drunk in the parks = spring...in japan at least. Seeing as this behaviour has been a constant for the 15 or some years I have been festering here I'm gonna say that everything appears normal and climate change is seasonal. If the snow is late then consider that one less person dead per day from falling off their roof. In which case climate change saves liiives, maaan.
Tizalleyman
@ Warispeace If this late snowfall is a product of industrialized climate change, then what caused the late November snowfall 122 years ago?
@ Davestrousers Fracking has nothing to do with oil production, it's a process used to obtain natural gas...
davestrousers
@Tizalleyman
Sorry, I should have said "the US is set to become the world's largest overall producer of oil and gas due to among other things, fracking, ...". That totally changes my point, well done.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
kringis
warispeace
How about you start by getting rid of your energy using PC?
Nessie
Global warming is happening, but one data point doesn't prove it.
Not quite true, since the mountains in Sapporo have had snow for more than a month. It's been visible from downtown for weeks. The snowfall in this article probably refers to some JMA location downtown. But winter's definitely come late this year.
realist
The lack of snow in Sapporo has absolutely nothing to do with the activities of puny himan beings. Climate Change has been around for thousands of years, its called NATURE. Anthropogenic global warming is untrue. The British Met Office has had to admit once again that there has been no "global warming" since 1997, and the past two years have actually shown a drop in temperatures worldwide. Therefore, the lack of snow is Sapporo right now is just Mother Nature in action. Enjoy the milder weather! The snow will fall eventually. No reason to panic, and no reason to be deceived by "scientists" promoting a political dogma about a non existent problem. The is no reason to "change our lifestyles" either, we should just enjoy the abundance of good natural oil and gas supplies, which when burned produce wonderful Co2 gases, which plant life needs in order to survive. All is well with Nature, as it has been for Millenia, with or without the actions of humans.
WilliB
warispace:
I have news for you: Climate change has always been occurring and will always occur. The one thing that is constant about the climate is that it is changing. This whole recent politically correct idea that we should somehow try to "control" world climate as if it was an airconditioner is ludicrious.
basroil
NessieNov. 19, 2012 - 06:52PM JST
Odd, I didn't see a single flake of snow on Friday in the mountains to the west. A week ago I saw nothing near jozankei. Two weeks ago I saw snow only on the very top of Yotei-san. Certainly is the first snowfall within 5km of Sapporo station.
Not too late actually, last year was the 16th, so just a day out. Both years are abnormal considering it's normally early Nov and by this time there's supposed to be permanent (until spring) snow, but not as crazy, statistically speaking, as it sounds.
jessebaybay
Climate changing IS happening... weather its caused by things that humans are doing or its a just a natural progression of our planet. The point is, we should be looking at renewable sources of energy - which for the most part we are. Unfortunately it will take decades for our efforts to be noticeable.
ps. making remarks like "stop using your pc" are just as annoying as people saying we are doomed.
gelendestrasse
Going to put a dent in the skiing holidays if some snow doesn't fly soon...
basroil
gelendestrasseNov. 20, 2012 - 03:01AM JST
Already snowed again, and weather outlook is snow or rain in sapporo (snow in mountains ) for the rest of the week.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
jessebaybay,
Check your definitions. Weather and Climate are not one and the same. Weather patterns always vary and are affected by various things. Local weather can be affected by civilization as in the "heat island effect". And some "green energy" sources have also been shown to increased localized warming, namely wind farms which disrupt the natural circulation patterns reducing night ground cooling and leading to higher daytime temps. Climate has never been in stasis, never, ever in global history.
psychopathsareincontrol
One single place on the planet that gets late snow is not more evidence of anthropomorphic global warming. It's more evidence that humans still can't accurately predict local weather from week to week, season to season and year to year. So, to say that "scientists" can even remotely predict global weather 10 to 50 years in advance is a load of rubbish. Climate change is a fact - it has been changing for millions of years.
Plenty of snow heading for Sapporo soon i'm sure.
basroil
psychopathsareincontrolNov. 20, 2012 - 02:24PM JST
I don't think anyone was talking about happy, friendly global warming. Anthropomorphism is the use of human traits for non-human animals, objects, and even ideas. The word you are looking for is anthropogenic, which means caused by man.
Mountains got more snow today, and likely will get even more by the end of the week.
Outta here
If this is the latest snow fall in 120 odd years then l would love to hear these climate change supports explain to me how if we are doing all this damage to the world how 120 odd years ago when the population was a fraction of what it is now and pollution was much less this could have occurred could it possibly be that this is cyclical and happens quite often. NAH couldn't be that then all the do goosing greenies couldn't complain and the governments couldn't give us a lovely carbon tax. What a joke.....
psychopathsareincontrol
Well... Sapporo certainly has snow now, doesn't it???