After almost cancelling a popular annual snow festival due to unseasonable January warmth, record-breaking snowfall has hit Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido, disrupting traffic, causing airport closures and delaying deliveries.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 47 inches of snowfall occurred during a 12-hour period on Monday in Obihiro, with blizzard conditions likely across northeast parts of the country. The agency warned residents to be on guard for heavy snow,

You've heard of lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes. Check out what a larger sea and bitter cold air helped to generate in parts of Japan.

Snow has hit wide areas of Japan since late Monday, February 3, as the “strongest cold front this season” arrived in the country, local news reported.According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, heavy snow and blizzard conditions from a “strong winter pressure pattern” were expected to continue through Thursday.

An area of low pressure over the main island of Hokkaido in northern Japan caused record amounts of snow to fall in the region. There were considerable traffic disruptions and dozens of flight cancellations.

Obihiro city in Hokkaido records 1.2 metres of snow in 12 hours, weather officials say. Video credit: saron17 via Instagram