Mount Fuji Has Remained Snowless For The Longest Time In 130 Years, Raising Significant Climate Change Concerns
Japan’s Mount Fuji is now the talk of climate change watchers, as its peak is still bare well into the fall, breaking the record for the longest time the mountain has remained snowless in 130 years.
On average, the snowcap on Mount Fuji begins to form around October 2. But this year, warmer temperatures have kept the volcano snow-free, raising both eyebrows and concerns.
Last year, the snowcap started forming on October 5. The previous record for the latest snowfall was October 26, 1955. The record was tied in 2016.
“Temperatures were high this summer, and these high temperatures continued into September, deterring cold air,” said Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at Japan’s Kofu Local Meteorological Office.
Since its establishment in 1894, the Kofu Local Meteorological Office has kept a record of the first snowfall on Mount Fuji every year. The 12,388-foot-high peak is one of three mountains that are considered sacred in Japan.
After enduring an unusually hot summer in the country, the warm temperatures have stuck around and delayed the snowfall, according to Shinichi Yanagi, a meteorological officer at the Kofu Local Meteorological Office.
For the second year in a row in 2024, Japan has experienced its hottest summer ever, and the warm weather is still going strong.
Around 74 Japanese cities recorded temperatures over 84 degrees Fahrenheit in early October. During this time of year, these temperatures are between nine and 14 degrees higher than normal.
The lack of snow on Mount Fuji is one of the many signs of a warming planet. It’s yet another example of how warmer winters affect snow and water.
lkunl – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
If global greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, much of the world will see snow-free winters by 2100, as per Andrew Schwartz, an atmospheric scientist from the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.
For the majority of the year, Mount Fuji is usually dressed in white until the summer. That is when the mountain draws more than 220,000 hikers to its slopes.
It’s not just the lack of snow that is a cause of concern for Japanese officials. The increased number of tourists arriving in the country to climb the mountain is worrisome as well.
More people began to trickle in after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. This year, Japan introduced a charge of 2,000 Japanese yen, which equates to about $13, for hikers wanting to trek the most popular route on the mountain.
In addition, the visitor cap was set to 4,000 people per day. The new regulations were established in an effort to curb the crowds during the hiking season. Hikers have also littered and gone onto the trails without proper gear, leading to injuries.
“Over-tourism—and all the subsequent consequences like rubbish, rising CO2 emissions, and reckless hikers—is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji,” said Masatake Izumi, a government official in Yamanashi Prefecture. “Fuji-san is screaming out in pain.”
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