**** Info via Environment Canada
Snow monsters
Canada may have monstrous snow, but Japan has “snow monsters”!
At an elevation of 1841 metres on the summit of the volcanic Mount Zao in Japan, about 350 km north of Tokyo, an unusual natural winter phenomenon gives birth to snowy, monster-like figures every year.
The strange occurrence, which the Japanese call “Juhyo” (literally “frost covered trees”) is the creation of thousands of “snow monsters” that appear on the mountainside during the winter.
However, this seemingly mystical occurrence can be explained by the unique meteorological mechanics, of a few different weather conditions, that all come together in just the right way. The snow monsters are created through simple snow and ice accretion (process of enlargement by a gradual buildup): the repeated process of high winds blowing snow onto rime ice that then binds to trees and branches, creating snow clumps that appear monster-like.
Strong high winds also often blow water from a nearby lake toward the mountainside. The water droplets freeze on the branches, and then falling fresh snow binds to the freezing and frozen droplets. All these processes happen repeatedly throughout the winter – and the results can appear quite magical!
Much like a snowflake itself, the chaotic process that forms the monsters ensures that no two snow monsters are entirely identical. The combination of necessary weather conditions is also a delicate one, as during the dry and warm winter of 2019, the snow monsters were all but gone by early February.
The unusual snow creatures are considered by many to be one of Japan’s best winter attractions. Thousands of tourists travel across Japan each year to see the so-called snow monsters, which typically are around from the end of January through mid-March.
A similar phenomenon occurs at Big White Ski Resort in British Columbia. Known there as “snow ghosts”; they form atop the mountain under strong winds and are best avoided by skiers as they are reported to be “hard as rocks”!
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