Despite November’s approach, Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji remains without snow, marking the latest date it has stayed snowless since the Japanese weather agency began tracking this phenomenon 130 years ago. Snow usually appears on the mountain’s slopes by early October, with an average start date of October 2. Last year, snow was first noted on October 5. However, this year’s warmer-than-average weather has delayed any snowfall on Japan’s tallest peak, according to Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at Kofu Local Meteorological Office.
This year’s record delay surpasses the previous snowless benchmark, set on October 26, which occurred twice: in 1955 and again in 2016. Katsuta attributes the lack of snow to high summer temperatures that extended well into September, inhibiting the cooler air necessary for snow formation. While the forecaster noted that temperature trends were key to this delay, he acknowledged that climate change likely plays a role in these warmer patterns and Mount Fuji’s late-season snow absence.
Japan experienced one of its hottest summers on record this year, on par with 2023, as severe heatwaves spurred by climate change affected large areas globally. Usually, Mount Fuji’s slopes remain snow-capped for much of the year, except during the main hiking season from July through September, when more than 220,000 visitors climb the steep terrain, many aiming to witness the sunrise from the 12,388-foot summit.
Visitor numbers dipped this year after Japanese authorities introduced a visitor entry fee and set a daily limit on climbers to help address over-tourism. Known for its symmetrical beauty, Mount Fuji has been featured in countless artworks, including Hokusai’s famous “Great Wave.” The mountain last erupted roughly 300 years ago, and remains a revered cultural symbol.
