Snow Falls in Tokyo for the First Time in November Since 1962

Jonathan Belles
Published: November 23,2016

Snow flurries falling in Shinjuku-Tokyo, Japan on November 24, 2016.

Snow flurries precipitated from colder-than-average skies on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. This is the first November snow that the city has seen in over 50 years. The most recent snow to fall in November was in 1962, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
While still too warm for much accumulation closer to the coast, reports were flying across central Japan, where some of the higher elevations of the Kanto and Chubu regions saw 5 to 8 inches of snow. Closer to Tokyo, some suburbs around the city saw accumulations of one-quarter to 1 inch of snow where the ground was cold enough to allow the snow to stick.
(MORE: The Science Behind Lake-Effect Snow)

Snow falling in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan.

Snow beginning to accumulate in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan.

According to the Japan Times, this first snow in Tokyo was 40 days earlier than last year's.
(MORE: 10 Facts That Might Suprise You About Snow)

Snow cover in Japan on November 24,2016.

A dip in the jet stream and a strong low-pressure system allowed temperatures to drop to 15 degrees below average over the northern half of Japan, or to near freezing in Tokyo.
Slightly above normal moisture levels on the northern side of the low-pressure system also likely contributed.
From 1981 through 2010, Tokyo has received 4.3 inches of snowfall each year on average.