February 8, 2024 - Snowfall in Tokyo

Snow in Tokyo

Snow fell over Eastern Japan between February 5 and February 6, 2024, laying a rare blanket of white over Tokyo and surrounding areas. Social media posts show a layer of wet, heavy snow topping the streets and sidewalks of Tokyo as pedestrians stroll across them, most using umbrellas to try to ward off the damp flakes. By early on February 6, 2.75 inches (7 cm) of fresh snowfall was reported in central Tokyo and 1.2 inches (3 cm) in Yokohama, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture south of Tokyo. The nearby mountains were expected to receive up to 21 inches (55 cm) in some locations.

According to ReliefWeb, as of February 7, more than 240 people were injured across Kanagawa Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, and Tokyo City due to snow-related incidents. The report also stated that more than 100 flights were cancelled in Haneda and Narita airports in Chiba Prefecture. The snow also snarled traffic and slowed or stopped railway transit.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of fresh snow across the Tokyo region on February 7. Gray-tinted snow can be seen across the Tokyo metro area north and east of Tokyo Bay. This includes Yokohama (south) and Chiba (northeast). The dark color reflects the heavy moisture content of the snow as well as the gray or tan surfaces on which it was sitting. In the mountains, especially to the northwest of Tokyo, heavier snow appears bright white.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/7/2024
Resolutions: 1km (40.8 KB), 500m (139 KB), 250m (404.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC