snow equinox

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spring for the world -
a snowstorm blankets
my valley


March 21 is the beginning of spring in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.



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Northern Japan hit by unseasonal weather
A powerful low-pressure system has brought wintry weather to wide areas of northern Japan.
Weather officials forecast that snow will continue to fall from Friday through Saturday as the depression heads northeast along the Pacific coast. They are advising caution against heavy snow and blizzard conditions.

Within the past 24 hours, about 60 centimeters of snow has fallen in northern Tohoku.
Gusting winds up to 90 kilometers per hour were registered on the northern main island of Hokkaido.
The low-pressure system is likely to develop further when it reaches waters east of Hokkaido overnight.

It will bring heavy snow and strong winds to the area early Saturday morning.
The maximum wind velocity could reach 125 kilometers per hour while 40 centimeters of snow is forecast on the northern and eastern coasts.

Tohoku Electric Power Company says some 10,000 households in the northern prefectures of Miyagi and Iwate were without power as of 11 AM on Friday, due to the heavy snow.

Mar. 21, 2014 - NHK news


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late snow

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- - - - - -  March 6, 2014


late snow
covers the valley -
cats in kotatsu



snow and sunshine
on the same branch -
this old crow



Another cold spell moving in !


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heavy snowfall

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too much snow -
the old bones ache
just looking at it





. - Photo Page from Snow, January 8, 2014 - . 　　


. from friends on Facebook .


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- quote
Heavy snow hits wide areas of Japan

Heavy snow has fallen in wide areas of Japan, including Tokyo and surrounding areas.

According to weather officials, as of 8 PM local time 49 centimeters of snow had fallen in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture; 39 centimeters in Kofu; 22 centimeters in Fukushima City and 25 centimeters in central Tokyo.
Strong winds also buffeted areas along the Pacific coast.
Shortly after 7 PM, Haneda Airport recorded maximum winds of about 75 kilometers per hour.

The snowfall will likely get heavier and continue through tomorrow along the Pacific coast, in Tokyo and surrounding areas as well as the Tohoku region in the northeast.
Three people died in 2 snow-related traffic accidents in Ishikawa and Nagano prefectures. Nearly 500 people have been injured. A 71-year-old man is in a coma after he fell on a slippery slope and was trapped under a snow plow.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the snow caused blackout in parts of Tokyo and 6 prefectures, affecting more than 40,000 households. The snow also paralyzed transport services. About 760 flights from Tokyo's Haneda Airport have been cancelled. Shinkansen bullet trains slowed down on some lines and expressways in the Tokyo Metropolitan area are impassable in places.

Weather officials are warning of more heavy snow, strong winds and high waves. They are advising people to watch out for icy roads and disruptions to transportation services, and refrain from going outdoors if at all possible.


Snowstorm hits Japan
Heavy snowfall has blanketed wide areas of Japan, including Tokyo and surrounding regions.
According to weather officials, as of 6 AM local time, 27 centimeters of snow had fallen in central Tokyo, for the first time in 45 years.
44 centimeters fell in Fukushima City along with 33 centimeters in Sendai and Chiba City.

Strong winds also buffeted areas along the Pacific coast.
At 4:30 AM, Haneda Airport recorded a maximum wind speed of about 80 kilometers per hour.
Snow has almost stopped falling in Tokyo and surrounding areas. But along the Pacific coast in the northeastern region, it will likely to continue until Sunday night.

In Ishikawa and Nagano prefectures, 3 snow-related traffic accidents claimed the lives of 4 motorists. More than 600 people have been injured in the winter storm.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says that as of 6 AM more than 20,000 households in Ibaraki and Chiba prefecture are still without power. The heavy snowfall and strong wind are believed to have caused the blackout.
The stormy weather is also paralyzing transportation services. On Sunday, nearly 200 domestic flights were cancelled.
International flights are also being affected and around 6,000 travelers had to spend the night in Narita Airport.

Shinkansen bullet trains are being forced to slow down on certain lines and some expressway sections in the Tokyo Metropolitan area remain closed to traffic.
Weather officials are warning of more snow, strong wind and high waves. They are advising people to watch out for icy roads and disruptions to transportation services.

Feb. 8, 2014
- source : www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld



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snow and sunshine

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bright sunshine
beyond the falling snow -
just for a second


More than 5 cm snow in the morning,
snowing on and off later in the day . . .
minus 4 centigrade to start the day




and a few days later - minus 5

morning in my mountains -
even the fog
is frozen


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pink snow

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pink snow
on the far mountain range -
the Buddha smiles




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lions snow

my two lions with a white pony - winter joys

. Joys of Japan . 　　


A cold wave for the next three days !


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snow in spring

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light snow
powders everything -
blossoms and all


A freezing morning just started . . .
back in the white landscape again.


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First Snow 2012

to keep warm with a cap of snow - much too early

First Snow on December 9, 2012

cold wave -
at 5 in the afternoon it is already minus 2 centigrade !

Storm and blizzard in North Japan.


. Album from this morning - 4 photos .



. SNOW in my valley .


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snow dragon waltz

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six snow dragons
doing the snow waltz
up and down the valley



Just back from some business and on the way, cruising along the terraced rice fields of Ohaga, suddenly a snowstorm of sorts unfolded.

I could not go on with the car, too windy. Like six dragons dancing the snow waltz, the different white swirls came all up the large valley, dangeling and drawing white tails behind them ... spectacular ...

If you know terraced rice fields imagine them in an April snow blizzard
. . . after a while, sunshine on the white coating
and a little later
. . . all is gone again, like that dream from last night . . .

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twigs and branches in snow

branches in snow - patterns in snow - life in snow ................................................................................. a cicada shell beside the graves - green leaves and snow ................................................................................. paulownia branches cherry buds ................................................................................. .................................................................................

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snow morning

late march morning - the bamboo covered in snow again late snow - the neighbour's black roof in shining white by lunchtime sunshine and snow from the same sky right NOW

. Snow and Bamboo in 2005 .


. Snow and Bamboo in 2008 .


. Snow and Bamboo in 2010 .



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palm in snow

late snow - the palm tree wonders about global warming

Reaction from friends :


You should be in Canada, Gabi! Normally we're dealing with temps hovering around freezing or just a tad above, in March... instead we are in a heat wave with mid 20's Celsius... I know I should worry about global warming too,
but this sure does beat snow and ice and winter coats!!!!!

still winter
yet on the maple tree
new growth

D.



D. and Gabi

We had such a sever drought last year....and so much loss due to fires...and this year, lots of rain/huge storm fronts creating havoc in TX....flooding, tornadoes, sink holes...it's so strange and yet we are led to believe...it's normal. We had no real winter here and so my roses were not pruned...they bloomed continuously all winter and I couldn't (didn't know how either, with such growth on them) cut into them. My yard is a swamp.

It has rained so much I have to walk the dogs on the driveway and the edges only...if they venture into the grass/way over grown weeds....they will sink knee deep in mud. I know all this is trivial compared to what is happening elsewhere in the world...but it is the "everyday" weirdness...the small things that have been getting me lately...and... in the last few years. Things like (I'm no bird watcher...but I should get a few books) birds in my yard in greater quantities and birds I have never seen before in my yard (in 30 years of living here....have to wonder what is happening at my other home in the Keys).... makes you wonder. Personally, I think it's (the weird weather) only going to get worse.

spring rain
the cannas bob
with heavy heads

P.



On the way to global warming, expect global weirding.
B.



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Ebisu in Snow

snow on his face - my Ebisu smiles in the morning sun

. Ebisu えびす　恵比寿　 .

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snow and sunshine

snow and sunshine - the patterns of sky and earth

START from here
. 22 photos from this morning .

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Friday, February 03, 2012 - NHK news

Heavy snowfall peaks in northern Japan

The heavy snow in northern and central Japan has passed its peak.
But weather officials warn that snow is likely to continue falling on the Sea of Japan coast through Saturday.
The Meteorological Agency says the winter pressure pattern has weakened, brining an end to the heavy snowfall that began in late January.

At 11 AM on Friday, Okura Village in Yamagata Prefecture had 3.51 meters of snow.
Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture had 3.48 meters.

The agency predicts that snow will fall on and off in mountainous regions of central and northern Japan through Saturday.
Some areas, mainly along the Sea of Japan, have double to triple the usual amount of snow.

Japan Railway companies say that shinkansen bullet trains are being delayed by up to 45 minutes between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka.
Air traffic has also been disrupted by the snow.

Weather officials are advising caution for traffic disruptions, avalanches and snow-related accidents.


Mercury hits record lows in Japan

A cold air mass over Japan brought the coldest morning of the season on Friday. Temperatures marked record lows in many parts of the country.
Officials say the weather is clear in many places, after days of heavy snow. Temperatures hit all-time lows at 38 locations across Japan.

In the southwestern island of Kyushu, the temperature was minus 14.7 degrees Celsius in Oita Prefecture. It was minus 10.6 degrees in Kumamoto Prefecture.
The cold weather suspended operations at a thermal power plant in Oita Prefecture in the morning. The plant operator says the cause was frozen air pipes, and that power-generating turbines are now being restored.

Elsewhere in Japan, it was minus 26 degrees in Nobeyama-kogen in the central part of the country. Minus 15.5 degrees was recorded in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan.

Weather officials said sub-zero temperatures were experienced at most of the observation points across the country.
Tokyo was among them. The temperature was minus 1 degree.


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snow on robai

morning meditation - how yellow is yellow ?

. Photos from this morning .

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. WKD : Wintersweet roobai 蝋梅 .


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severe frost

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severe frost -
the sparkling whiteness
of my brown roof


quote
La Nina blamed for cold, heavy snow

The recent bitter cold and heavy snows have been brought about by the La Nina weather pattern, which lowers the temperature of equatorial sea surface waters, the Meteorological Agency said.

The emergence of La Nina was also observed from December 2005 to February 2006, when around 150 people died as a result of heavy snow across Japan.

While the agency said the current cold air level is not as intense, it is warning of potentially unusual weather as the flow of cold air from China into Japan through early February causes heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast.

Record snow accumulations for January have been recorded at three observation points in Hokkaido, including Shinshinotsu, where the level reached 213 cm as of Monday. In an average year, it sees around 68 cm of snow pile up.

In the city of Aomori, 391 cm of snow had accumulated as of Monday, around 1.7 times more than in an average year and the highest-ever January level.

Average temperatures between Jan. 1 and Jan. 17 were 1.1 degrees below normal in northern Japan, 0.9 degree in eastern Japan, 0.8 degree in western Japan and 0.2 degree in Okinawa.

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012
source : www.japantimes.co.jp

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We have been spared the worst of the cold spell for now here in Western Japan, but the cold front is heading down to our region ...
snow and freezing temperatures coming for the next week . . .

Keep warm, dear Friends in Japan and the World.

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From my facebook friend Hideo Suzuki :


another dawn,
sounds of neighbors
warm up I'm alive...
~hideo on a cold and quiet morning



sunshine
sparkles the frost
on neighbor's roof ...
~hideo as time goes by



sparkling frost gone
warmness comes,
bless you sunshine ...
~Hideo to follow Gabi san's haiku


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the sun sparkles
in falling snow
on our smiles
Gennady Nov





severe frost ~
a virtual hanten
comes your way
Elaine Andre ‎



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La Nìña ...
in Coron, predator fish
hunt in the shallows

We observed this while on holiday, but am not sure if this has to do with the climate change.

severe frost ...
the familiar warmth
of my duvet

On the other hand,
I find myself suddenly thinking of Santoka, a real favourite of mine.


severe frost ...
suddenly the sound
of falling rain

early frost ...
my empty agenda
in a drawer


Ella Wagemakers
kigo hotline


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my daily happiness - snowflakes

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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. Snowflakes in my valley - haiku collection 01 .

. Snowflakes in my valley - haiku collection 02 .

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January 14
Hideo san started a little bubble of happiness:

. Joys of Japan - Poetry .





happiness
lives in
small things
~hideo on a freezing morning




happiness -
my cat snuggled
in my lap
Gabi




happiness
a breath of spring
warms the wind
Jimmy ThePeach ‎



happiness -
a breath of Siberia
cools the wind
Gabi




happiness
a breath of cinnamon
dawn
Jimmy ThePeach ‎




幸せが俳句となりて化身せり

happiness has 　
just come out as a haiku,
incarnation　
Esho Shimazu




Happiness
Again the spring
Blossoming cherries

happiness
the little old lady with
a baby’s smile
Gennady Nov



peace
along with happiness
is eternal
Isabelle Loverro ‎




there are days
when it's cold in the kitchen -
I rise to find haiku
Geoff Sanderson




plain old happiness
snuggling neath eiderdown
with two smiling dogs
Patrick Duffey




. . . . . January 17

my daily happiness -
I wake up from a dream
about facebook
Gabi Greve



happiness comes
one after another
like renga of Basho
~hideo dedicated to all poets joined to this round of renga.



happiness ~
the pendulum swings
and swings back
Elaine Andre



happiness
if it is in the man
service goodness

happiness of
earthly delights-
art of haiku

happiness-
long path from
birth to death

happiness
voice on phone
from apart
Gennady Nov




. . . . . January 18

my daily happiness -
the taste of seaweed
and sesame
Gabi Greve



happiness ~
a six year old's
belly laugh
Elaine Andre ‎



happiness –
without a reason
I start to smile
Karen Cesar



computer crash -
a welcome break
from the virtual world

I hope to be back by tomorrow,
this is just an extra maschine to send messages . .
and no-one for repairs near right now.




. . . . . January 21

First and foremost, Joys of Japan- Poetry this is not a haiku workshop ... this is a place to share our life, simple or sophisticated, as best as we can.

For many, English is not the first language and even myself I have problems with the language sometimes.

Let us help each other if we can and enjoy what is offered.
and just skip over the ones you do not like.

Is my haiku relevant for others?
Well, it was relevant for me when I wrote it,
therefore there must be something in the experience . . .

My sensei taught me to write simple, so that the reader can understand the image easily -
if he "likes" the image is another problem, where different readers have different tasts.

a thousand snowflakes
from the same sky -
Joys of Japan
Gabi Greve




fun and odd sometimes
pop up from
Joy of Japan ...
Hideo Suzuki



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. Joys of Japan - Poetry .


. Snowflakes in my valley - haiku collection 01 .

. Snowflakes in my valley - haiku collection 02 .

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tanuki snowcap

. my tanuki with his usual snow cap - again this year .

. Winter - photo album .

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hortensia snow

mother rests under a cover of snow and sparkles

. Photo Album - Winter 2011/12 .


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camellia in first snow

camellia in first snow - a sight to share with facebook friends snowing with a laughing face- camelia Aju Mukhopadhyay Tiffany stained glass delicate but strong pink frosted camellia Lisette Root snow of blossom gentle gem the camellia Isabelle Loverro just before dawn frost creeps silently on a pink camellia Hideo Suzuki frosted camelia the dancers‘ skirt higher and higher Stella Pierides first frost - a girl picks the last camellia Letitzia Iubu ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: born too soon frost and camellia collide . . . silent white Elaine Andre 初霜の The first frost of the season 白き静寂 White silence 寒椿 Camellia in coldness Esho Shimazu

. my Facebook Friends .


. my Photo Album of First Snow .



tsubaki Camellia and Sasanka are tough ones, they flower all winter in my garden and in Japan.

. WKD : tsubaki つばき　椿 Camellia .


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early morning sun -
a frozen bud
thaws into life

..... Morgensonne -
..... eine gefrorene Knospe
..... taut ins Leben




my garden in 2004



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