A winter pressure pattern and a cold air mass are expected to bring heavy snow through Saturday to the Sea of Japan side of northern to eastern Japan. The snow should fall mainly in mountainous areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says snow has been falling intermittently in some areas. Parts of the Tohoku region have received large accumulations.

As of 6 p.m. on Friday, 400 centimeters of snow had piled up in Sukayu in the Hakkoda mountain range in Aomori Prefecture, that's double the seasonal average. Aomori City had 109 centimeters, and Kazuno City in Akita Prefecture 61 centimeters. The figures are both double to triple the accumulation of an average year.

In the 24 hours through Saturday evening, up to 50 centimeters of snow is expected in the Tohoku region, up to 40 centimeters in Hokkaido, Niigata and Nagano prefectures, and up to 20 centimeters in the Hokuriku region. Northern parts of the Kanto region, including Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, may receive about five centimeters of snowfall, and snow may accumulate on flatland areas.

Snow is also forecast through Saturday in mountainous areas on the Sea of Japan side of western Japan.

Weather officials are calling on people to prepare for traffic disruptions. They are also urging caution against snow accumulation on power cables and trees, as well as avalanches in snow-covered areas.

People are also advised to exercise caution when clearing snow from rooftops. They should wait until weather gets better and should not work alone.