Snow Finally Seen on Mount Fuji

UPDATE Nov 6, 2024 12:00 AM CST

Early Wednesday, snow was finally spotted on Mount Fuji—by far the latest in the year Japan's iconic peak has seen its first snow in the 130 years since records have been kept, the New York Times reports. "This is the first time we haven't seen snow on the mountain in November," one local official said recently. "Everyone feels strange not seeing snow in November." Wednesday's report of snow still must be officially confirmed; cloud cover was delaying officials from doing that just yet.

Oct 30, 2024 2:30 AM CDT

It's late October, and there's not yet snow on Mount Fuji—making it the latest in the year the iconic Japanese volcano has ever remained snowless (since 1894, at least, when records first started being kept). As the BBC reports, it's typical for Mount Fuji to at least have a dusting of snow by early October, but unusually warm weather has resulted in no snowfall yet reported this year at the country's highest peak. Last year, the first snow fell on the summit on October 5; the average date for the snowcap to start forming each year is October 2, the Guardian reports. Before this year, the latest the summit saw snow was October 26 in 1955 and 2016.

The newspaper describes Japan's summer as "sweltering," with high temperatures continuing into September; it tied 2023 as the country's hottest-ever summer in a phenomenon experts attribute at least partially to climate change. While the heat has backed off this month, October has still seen higher-than-average temperatures, "deterring" the freezing temperatures required in order for rain to turn in to snow, one meteorologist says. The volcano, which last erupted three centuries ago, is snow-covered for most of the year, but July through September is considered climbing season. (More Mount Fuji stories.)