Japan’s famous deep snow is the product of a powerful interaction between cold Siberian air, a warm marginal sea, steep mountains, and several global climate patterns. This article explains how winter precipitation occurs in Japan, from local sea-effect processes to the large-scale teleconnections that control cold-air supply, storm tracks and moisture. 1. How Japan Gets So Much Snow 1.1 Sea-Effect or “Japan Sea” Snow Most of Japan’s legendary winter snow falls on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu and across Hokkaido. The mechanism is similar to Great Lakes snow in North America, but on a larger scale: In winter, the East Asian winter monsoon drives cold, dry air out of Siberia toward Japan. As this air crosses the relatively warm Sea of Japan , it picks up heat and moisture. A narrow convergence band known as the Japan Sea Polar Air Mass Convergence Zone (JPCZ) frequently forms, focusing clouds and snowfall into intense bands over the sea. ...
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