Well, it's started. Not a huge amount yet, exactly in the middle of Niigata Prefecture's forecast of 20 to 40cm by 9 am this morning (at 32cm).

A break in the snowfall....until I was finished checking for this morning, of course!

A lot of lightening and thunder last night, a sign that snow would be falling.

Sunny and cold to start the day, although it will be getting warmer through the day.

More snow! More than expected!

Lots of snow today. Lots of wind last night, too,

I don't want visitors to think this is normal, but the sun is out again. I keep telling people that there are many Januarys where there is almost no sun.

A pretty nice snowfall overnight, with a total of 34cm of fresh on the ground this morning.

Sunny this morning, but with a few clouds starting to drift in over the mountains.

It was raining in the late afternoon and evening last night, but it's nice light powder today. And lots of it.

This is just to keep a track of snowfall with 5cm added.

Sunny and cold after the big dump. After a big snow like that it almost seems like there's no more moisture left in the air to make clouds.

We have been slammed. Buried. Ensconsed in snow.

The sun is out again today, but I don't think it's going to last very long!