Summer is coming to an end, and while we have yet to enjoy autumn, Mt Fuji has already been spotted with its first snowcap of the year – almost a month earlier than normal. As reported by The Mainichi, a blanket of snow was spotted on the 3,776m peak early in the morning on Tuesday September 7.
The Kofu Local Meteorological Office, where the observatory is located, announced that the snowcap arrived 21 days earlier than last year and 25 days earlier than average. The earliest first snowcap on record was in 2008, when Fuji saw snow on August 9. Conversely, October 16 2016 marked the latest first snowfall since observations began in 1894.
There were reports of snow on Fuji’s peak on September 6, but conditions were cloudy, so it wasn’t possible to confirm.
Mt Fuji was once again open to climbers this summer after being closed in 2020 due to Covid-19. However, climbing season is coming to an end – the mountain will close for the year on Friday September 10.
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