Heavy snow hits Nagano, Sea of Japan coast

Heavy snow fell in a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast as well as central and eastern Japan from Tuesday through Wednesday morning, with the weather agency warning the public about strong winds across the archipelago even after the snow subsides.Up to 65 centimeters (31 inches) of snow was recorded in Niigata Prefecture and 55 cm in Nagano Prefecture over the 24 hours through Wednesday morning. Near Tokyo, the first snow of the season was observed in Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture, 11 days later than usual but 13 days earlier than last winter.The Japan Meteorological Agency also called…READ FULL ARTICLE