Study on a data base of snow cover information in mountainous regions

We have been continuously observing the quantities of snow cover at several selected points in heavy snowy regions of Japan. The purpose is to collect and put in order fundamental data for studies on snow disaster prevention. We settled 14 snow observation stations in 7 pairs of stations in mountainous and flat localities from San'in district to Hokkaido. Snow cover and meteorological data have been observed and collected. We are attempting to make the collected data to be a data base. The snow depth in the low plain is smaller in these ten years than in previous years. However, little change has been observed in precipitation amount. For atmospheric temperature is low and a snowfall period is long in mountainous regions, we observed that the snow cover varies less in mountainous regions than in low flat regions. We are investigating quantitative snow cover variation in mountainous regions to clarify the characteristics of snow coverage and to prevent snow disasters. 

Maximum snow depth in 1995/96 winter.

Snow observation points for a mountainous area in the northern part of Japan.

Collection system of snow cover data in mountainous regions