Snow piles up in earthquake-damaged Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 23. (Kenichi Nishida)

Photo/Illutration Snow falls intermittently in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 23. (Masaru Komiyaji)

Heavy snow is falling in areas along the Sea of Japan coast, including communities in Ishikawa Prefecture that are trying to recover from the New Year’s Day earthquake.

The coldest air mass so far this winter led to snowfalls on the coast on Jan. 23, and heavy snow is expected to continue until around Jan. 25.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said warning-level heavy snow could hit areas damaged by the Jan. 1 earthquake in the Noto Peninsula.

Agency officials are calling on residents to stay alert for traffic disruptions and to avoid damaged houses that could collapse under the heavy snow.

In the 24 hours through 4 p.m. on Jan. 23, 36 centimeters of snow fell on Kita-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, and 8 cm each in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, and Ono, Fukui Prefecture.

Temperatures have dropped below zero in quake-devastated Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.

The heavy snow is expected to peak on Jan. 24, mainly in the Hokuriku region.

For mountainous areas, up to 100 cm of snow is forecast over the 24 hours through 6 p.m. on Jan. 24 in Niigata Prefecture, 80 cm each in Toyama and Fukui prefectures, and 70 cm in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Thirty to 60 cm is forecast for non-mountainous areas of those prefectures.

Up to 80 cm of snow is also expected in the Kinki region over that period, 70 cm each in the Tohoku and Tokai regions, and 60 cm in the Kanto-Koshin and Chugoku regions.

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