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February 27, 2026 - Snowy Japan
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On February 21, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of a winter’s day in southern and central Japan. From south to north the major islands seen in this image are Kyushu, Shikoku, and the largest island, Honshu. A heavy layer of snow drapes across high elevations in northern Honshu, while scant snow can be seen in the south.
Northern Japan, including northern Honshu, is familiar with heavy winter snows. However, the winter of 2026 has been especially disruptive. A series of intense storms in January and February repeatedly paralyzed transportation systems, closing airports, snarling roadways, and suspending trains. Following storms that dropped more than 2 meters (7 feet) of snow in Aomori, a city on the island of Honshu authorities deployed troops to help clear roofs, according to news reports. The snow has caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
The vigorous winter snowfall has a positive side—ski resorts have plenty of powder for folks to play on! According to the Japan Weekly Snow Roundup published on February 26 on snow-forecast.com, the Seki Onsen Ski Resort located in northwestern Honshu island reported the deepest base in the world at 620 cm (244 inches/20 feet). They are also the only resort with above five meters (200 inches) of base.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/21/2026
Resolutions:
1km (673.4 KB), 500m (1.9 MB), 250m (2.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On February 21, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of a winter’s day in southern and central Japan. From south to north the major islands seen in this image are Kyushu, Shikoku, and the largest island, Honshu. A heavy layer of snow drapes across high elevations in northern Honshu, while scant snow can be seen in the south.
Northern Japan, including northern Honshu, is familiar with heavy winter snows. However, the winter of 2026 has been especially disruptive. A series of intense storms in January and February repeatedly paralyzed transportation systems, closing airports, snarling roadways, and suspending trains. Following storms that dropped more than 2 meters (7 feet) of snow in Aomori, a city on the island of Honshu authorities deployed troops to help clear roofs, according to news reports. The snow has caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
The vigorous winter snowfall has a positive side—ski resorts have plenty of powder for folks to play on! According to the Japan Weekly Snow Roundup published on February 26 on snow-forecast.com, the Seki Onsen Ski Resort located in northwestern Honshu island reported the deepest base in the world at 620 cm (244 inches/20 feet). They are also the only resort with above five meters (200 inches) of base.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/21/2026
Resolutions:
1km (673.4 KB), 500m (1.9 MB), 250m (2.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
