Record-breaking snowfall fell on Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido on Tuesday, disrupting traffic, causing airport closures and delaying deliveries

One person has died and four more have been seriously injured due to heavy snow in parts of Japan, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

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,

The weather agency warned of blizzards, high waves and hazardous road conditions through the weekend, urging residents to avoid nonessential travel.

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.

Heavy snowfall continued Wednesday along the Sea of Japan coast as the season's strongest cold front disrupted rail services in centr

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.

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.Without the images, it might be hard to wrap your mind around the amount of snow blanketing the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan.