Weather officials in Japan say snow is intensifying over wide areas, especially along the Sea of Japan coast from Hokkaido to the western Chugoku region.

The Meteorological Agency says strong gusts, high waves and storm surges are expected on Saturday.

Officials are warning of whiteouts, with zero visibility in some regions. They also say heavy snow may disrupt traffic and cause power outages.

Niigata Prefecture is forecast to have up to 80 centimeters of snow in the 24 hours through Sunday morning. The northeastern Tohoku region could see 70 centimeters, and the Kantokoshin region 60 centimeters.

The Pacific coast may also see more snow, mainly in mountainous areas.

Conditions worsened overnight in Yamagata and Niigata prefectures, as well as in the Hokuriku region.

As of 6 a.m. Saturday, snowfall had reached 1.52 meters in Oguni Town, Yamagata Prefecture. Sekikawa Village in Niigata Prefecture had 1.17 meters.

Extreme conditions are expected to continue through Monday in some areas.