When the first snowfall comes to Aomori each year, I know my life is about to change for the next four months. For me, it's the first sign that winter (冬, fuyu) has really begun. The landscape gradually becomes soft, white, and powdery. The busy streets get jammed up with traffic as car headlights fade into the icy winds. The smaller roads become empty and quiet. Less people go out. More people stay inside. For many, the kotatsu (炬燵, small covered table with underneath heating unit) becomes a sanctuary. In a place like Aomori where the snowfalls can be so heavy, the winter season is not something to be taken lightly. But at the same time, it's also a spectacular sight to behold.
 |
| Road leading up to Mt. Hakkoda in Aomori City |
If you are new to my blog or need a refresher as to where Aomori is located, here's a map of Japan below showing the location. Also specified is Aomori City, where I'm currently living and the region I'm writing about here.
 |
| Map of Japan and Aomori Prefecture |
By the Numbers
Aomori is sometimes called the snowiest inhabited place on earth. That's a pretty bold claim, but official records from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) suggest there may be some truth behind it. Below is a table directly from JMA which shows various climate data for Sukayu Onsen (酸ケ湯, Sukayu Hotsprings), in Aomori City. It's written in Japanese but I've written English translations of some key data points. The numbers on the far left of the table indicate each month starting from January to December.
 |
| Average snowfall data for Sukayu Onsen, in Aomori City (source) |
 |
| Road near Sukayu Onsen |
It may be hard to believe that over 17 meters (58 ft) of snowfall could even be possible. However, there are three points to keep in mind. First, the location of Sukayu Onsen is partway into the mountains and not representative of snow levels directly in the city itself. Second, occasional periods of melting occur which keeps overall snow levels in check. And third, the stated numbers are for the average yearly total snowfall, not average height. So what about snow records within the city itself? For that, I've included the following table.
 |
| Average snowfall data for Aomori City, Japan (source) |
As you can see, snow levels in the actual city are still impressive, but not quite like that of the mountains. And just as I mentioned above, there are always periods of melting throughout the winter, so actual snow heights never get close to reaching the yearly average total snowfall numbers. In other words, it's not like there's ever 6 meters (20 ft) of snow on the downtown streets at one time.
From My Eyes
If you asked me what was the highest snow height I have ever personally seen and experienced in the middle of the city at one given point in time—not including man-made piles of snow—I would probably say around 100 cm (3.3 ft) of pure snow. If you include accumulated snow on sidewalks added by snow plows or people shoveling, I would add about 60 cm (2ft) to that number. Now, if we are talking about any snow piles around the city, I've seen some that have likely reached 450 centimeters (15 ft) or more. But regardless of how you look at it, I think most would agree that the snow can be pretty intense here.
 |
| Sidewalk in Aomori City |
My first two winters here were definitely intense. I haven't confirmed this but I remember hearing that several records were even broken during those years. On the contrary, this most recent winter (which is towards the end now) has been significantly weaker than the previous ones. Aside from a few big snowstorms, the levels never really got out of control in the city (in the mountains, I don't know). I guess the caveat here is not all winters are created equal.
 |
| Okidate River in January |
Aomori's winter season has also been featured in the news in recent years, with stories from sources such as the Huffington Post and the Guardian.
Snow Removal / Management
It seems like a pretty boring thing to write about, but it has been interesting to see how the city deals with so much snow every winter. It may not be as simple as you think.
Some of the innovative ways is by using heated pavement and seawater to prevent snow from accumulating in major traffic and pedestrian areas. To my knowledge, the seawater system is only incorporated on one major downtown road in the city. It uses tiny sprinklers built into the road which constantly spray the road, keeping it wet but free of snow and ice. Heating systems are slightly more common, but are never used for roads. Instead, these are incorporated into a few of the main sidewalks and pedestrian bridges in the downtown areas. Some apartment complexes and businesses also use them.
I'm sure it all sounds very convenient, but unfortunately these systems are actually pretty rare (likely expensive). So for the most part, snow removal is done the old fashioned way, by snow plows, snow blowers, and basic shovels and elbow grease.
Unfortunately, there's very little free space where snow can be moved in the city. People can start but pushing it into the roadside gutters (accessible grates allow people to do this pretty easily). When these fill up or are not available, people must find another location. I often see older folks just toss the snow off their own driveways into the street where cars repeatedly smash it down.
Snow plows also have few places to put snow as there's typically little or no room on the sides of streets. The solution is for teams of large bulldozers and heavy duty dump trucks to remove the snow and dump it into the sea nearby. In the aftermath of particularly huge snowstorms, the city has entire operations going on during the night while most people sleep. I've seen this with my own eyes a few times and it's pretty wild.
I thought the city had a good grasp on snow management this year. But for the two previous years, all of their efforts simply weren't enough to handle the snow. Most of the time, they didn't have enough resources to remove the snow quickly enough before the next snowstorm hit. Which brings me to describe the last way people deal with snow here... by just letting it pile up and saying "the hell with it!".
Still Biking in Winter
People think I'm crazy, but I still ride my bike in the winter no matter what the conditions. Honestly, I do it out of necessity as much as I do it because I really want to. I have to get to work and the gym somehow. I could take the bus which is always late, slow, and stresses me out. Or, I could ride my bike and know exactly how long it's going to take me and save a lot of time. The exercise is a bonus. I wear good quality layers to stay warm and my bike is snow-ready. It's definitely not for everyone. It can be tough and sometimes dangerous depending on the situation. But alas, I'm not everyone ;-)
Last year I even participated in a winter bike race called the Snow Aomori Enduro 3-hour Challenge Cup, and with a 4-man team we got 2nd place!
 |
| Snow Aomori Enduro Race 2013, 2nd place finish |
Snowboarding on Mt. Hakkoda
 |
| Snowboarding at Mt. Hakkoda |
With all the snow we get here, one of the best things to do in the winter is snowboarding and skiing. And one of the best places to do it is at Mt. Hakkoda (also seen in my Autumn in Aomori post). The mountain is known for having some excellent powder and I can attest to that. The weather can also be treacherous though, and nice bluebird days are very rare. I was lucky last year to go on one of those perfect-weather days.
Each season in Aomori is unique and has a lot to offer. I'll admit that winter is one of the more difficult seasons to really appreciate because the weather can so extreme, and the days are so short and grey. Despite these points, it offers some amazing opportunities to see things others may never have a chance to see. It can provide a one-of-a-kind experience and toughen your skin, and your spirit. I probably wouldn't want to live in an environment like this forever, but I feel fortunate to have spent several years learning how to adapt to it and enjoy it's beauty.
