After an unusually warm October, Mount Fuji has finally received its first snow cover, which has been late for the first time in 130 years..
The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed on Wednesday that snow was visible on the southwestern side of the peak.
This year’s snowfall arrived more than a month later than the typical October 2 date. Historically, snow appears on Mount Fuji shortly after Japan’s summer climbing season ends. However, unseasonably warm temperatures delayed it this year. In October, the average temperature at the summit was 1.6°C instead of -2°C, marking a record high since 1932.
The delay in the arrival of snow has set a new record, surpassing previous late snowfalls that were recorded on October 26 in 1955 and 2016. Though Japan’s summer this year ranked as one of the hottest on record, climate experts suggest it’s too soon to attribute this trend solely to global warming. Similar temperature anomalies have also been noticed in other regions across the globe this year.
