Photo/Illutration Vehicles stuck on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minami-Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, on Dec. 18. (Yosuke Fukudome)

The Japanese archipelago will be enveloped by huge masses of freezing air from the continent due to a winter pressure pattern during the year-end and New Year holidays, raising the likelihood of heavy snow in wide areas, according to weather forecasts.

Heavy snowfalls could lead to traffic accidents on icy roads, cause snow to slide off roofs and trigger power outages. We should remain alert for these cold weather hazards.

This holiday season, many people will likely not return home or travel long distances because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. But even short trips to nearby places require sufficient caution. Plans should be changed flexibly in response to weather and other conditions.

The roads could be especially dangerous. Heavy snow in mid-December paralyzed traffic and left as many as 2,100 cars stranded on the Kan-etsu Expressway that connects Niigata Prefecture and Tokyo.

People trapped in a car for many hours could suffer from potentially lethal carbon monoxide poisoning or freeze to death after the gasoline runs out.

All drivers planning to travel to snowy areas need to pack at least tire chains, shovels to remove snow and blankets into their cars.

East Nippon Expressway Co. (NEXCO East), which operates the Kan-etsu Expressway, made many misguided decisions in responding to the heavy snowfall in mid-December. The company needed more than half a day to close the toll road after the traffic started getting clogged. This delay exacerbated the situation.

NEXCO East also deepened confusion by initially misreporting the number of stranded cars at about 70. The actual number was around 1,000. A single misjudgment under such circumstances could lead to disaster.

The company has since developed a contingency plan to respond to such weather, including deployment of additional manpower in the early stages and increased road patrols.

Other road operators should follow suit and review their emergency response plans to prevent similar dangerous situations.

Heavy snow has previously caused chaos on roads. Two years ago, about 1,500 vehicles got stuck in snow on National Route 8 in Fukui Prefecture.

In such situations, it is important for road operators to avoid focusing too much on keeping the road open, even if it is an arterial route.

When ferocious typhoon rains and winds are forecast, roads are often closed in advance. It may be a good idea to take similar steps when heavy snow is expected.

This approach, however, entails some sticky problems. Snow is more difficult to accurately predict than rain, and closing major roads could disrupt supply chains and cause huge economic losses. But protecting human lives should be the top priority.

Operators of ordinary roads should also respond quickly to unusual weather conditions and immediately provide information about areas that could be affected.

Driving is far from the only activity that requires serious caution during snowy weather.

During the decade through 2019, 850 people died in Japan from snow-related causes, according to the latest annual report published by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Most of these deaths were caused by falls during the removal of snow from roofs.

To prevent such accidents, it is vital to ensure that people do not work alone to remove snow from the roof, and that they wear helmets and lifelines and carry mobile phones to call for help in emergencies.

In an unusual spate of heavy snow in 2014, the Tokyo metropolitan area was paralyzed for two straight weeks, and some mountainous communities in Yamanashi and other prefectures became isolated.

Most such communities have shrinking and aging populations. Local governments need to take steps to ensure effective responses when these communities are cut off from surrounding areas.

In areas along the Sea of Japan, snowstorms often cause poor visibility, even on flatlands. People in such areas must keep up to date on the latest weather forecasts and avoid any risky activity.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 29

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