Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. Sapporo, the island’s largest city and host of an annual snow festival, typically sees more than 140 days of snowfall, with nearly 6 meters (20 feet) accumulating on average each year.
Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview
On February 5, 2026, the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of snow-covered landscapes across Hokkaido. With more than 31 active volcanoes, the island features several large caldera lakes, including at least five that are visible in the image. (Calderas are large depressions formed by volcanic eruptions.) In the east, forested windbreaks around Nakashibetsu form a checkerboard pattern, while to the north, swirls of drifting sea ice adorn the Sea of Okhotsk.
Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. However, despite the region’s familiarity with heavy snowfall, winter 2026 got off to a disruptive start. A series of intense storms in January and February repeatedly paralyzed transportation systems, closing airports, snarling roadways, and suspending trains.
Read more about sea ice and snowstorms in Japan.
Text credit: Adam Voiland
Image credit: Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview
日本北部，特别是北海道岛，坐落着世界上降雪量最大的一些城市。作为该岛最大的城市及年度冰雪节的主办地，札幌通常每年有超过140个降雪日，平均累积降雪量近6米（20英尺）。
Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview
2026年2月5日，NASA泰拉（Terra）卫星上的MODIS（中分辨率成像光谱仪）获取了这张北海道白雪覆盖的景观图像。该岛拥有超过31座活火山，并分布着数个大型破火山口湖，图像中至少可见五个。（破火山口是由火山爆发形成的大型凹陷。）在东部，中标津（Nakashibetsu）周围的防风林呈现出棋盘状图案，而在北部，漂流的海冰漩涡装点着鄂霍次克海。
日本北部，尤其是北海道岛，坐落着世界上降雪量最大的一些城市。然而，尽管该地区对大雪习以为常，2026年冬季的开局却极具破坏力。1月和2月的一系列强风暴反复导致交通系统瘫痪，造成机场关闭、道路受阻以及列车停运。
文字来源: Adam Voiland
图片来源: Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview
