Report on the Snow Survey of the Heavy Snowfall in the Tsugaru Region of Aomori Prefecture during the 2024/2025 Winter Season

Abstract

During the winter of 2024/2025, record-breaking heavy snowfall occurred in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, causing widespread power outages, traffic disruptions, and significant human, residential, and agricultural damage. As a result, the Disaster Relief Act was invoked on January 4, 2025. Heavy snowfall persisted, leading to the Disaster Relief Act being invoked again on February 25, 2025. Following the invocation of the Act in January, the authors conducted a wide-area snow survey focusing on urban areas in the Tsugaru region. The January survey revealed particularly high snow depths and snow water equivalents in the southwestern Tsugaru Plain and southern Aomori Plain. The average snow density across observation points was approximately 350 kg/m³, indicating dense, heavy, and wet snow, as confirmed by snow profile observations. Locations with significant increases in snow water equivalent from January to February corresponded to hilly areas where severe apple tree damage was reported.