"First Snow Day"
It was snowing yesterday. The first heavy snow in Nova Scotia, Canada. Everything was white and still is. Usually, the first snow is very pure and clarifies the energy and the air. That's why I love fresh snow. I don't like the cold icy rain before the snow. However, this snow is probably going to melt someday soon before the stable snowfall season. I went for a walk with my dog and with my husband when we had a break time. My dog couldn't go walking the day before yesterday because of the rainstorm. He looked satisfied and extra happy in the snow. He loves snow very much.
In my hometown of Hokkaido, Japan, people have to shovel snow almost every day in the winter. The temperature usually goes down under 0 up to around 20° or more when it is very cold. The average snow depth per year is 597cm in Sapporo city, and 743cm in Asahikawa city. To compare, only 11cm in Tokyo city. The snow days are about 125 days in Sapporo, about 142 days in Asahikawa, and about 75 days in Tokyo.
As you can see, we enjoy winter sports for sure. Snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, snowball fighting, and more. Also, there are many snow festivals, ice festivals, and making "Kamakura (かまくら) snow domes in Hokkaido, Japan. People enjoy deep snow. Rarely are schools closed in Hokkaido. Students go to school every day in the deep snow on foot. Nova Scotian schools often close because of the school buses' reason. Also, there are icy roads everywhere and less snow so, bus drivers have to be extra careful in the winter. On the other hand, in Hokkaido, people drive on thick snow in the winter.
"初雪"
昨日は雪でした。カナダのノバスコシア州で今年初の大雪でした。今は少しとけましたが、全てが真っ白でした。だいたい初雪は空気を一掃してくれるので、新鮮な雪は好きです。わたしは雪が降る前の冷たい雨が苦手です。でも、今積もっている雪はそのうち一旦とけると思うので根雪にはならないと思います。昨日の休憩時間に犬を散歩に連れて行きました。一昨日は雨で散歩に連れて行けなかってのでとても嬉しそうでした。満足気でとても幸せそうでした。雪が大好きな犬です。
故郷の北海道では冬になるとほぼ毎日雪かきをしなくてはなりません。気温はだいたい氷点下で、とても寒い時はマイナス２０度かそれ以上になる地域があります。札幌市の年間の平均的な積雪量（降雪の深さ）は約５９７cm、旭川市では７４３cm位だそうです。約１１cmの東京都と比べるとかなり多いことがわかります。年間の雪日数は札幌市では約１２５日、旭川市では約１４２日、東京は約７５日だそうです。
雪が多いので、もうウィンタースポーツを楽しむしかありません。スノーボード、スキー、スノーシューイング、雪合戦などなど…。雪まつり、氷祭り、かまくら作りなどの様々な雪のイベントが開催されます。思い思いの深い雪を楽しんでいます。休校になることはまれで、みんな深い雪の中を一生懸命歩いて登校します。ノバスコシア州の学校はスクールバスなのでしょっ中学校が休校になります。雪が少なく道が凍りやすいので、運転手さん達はとても慎重に休校か否かを決定しなければなりません。一方、北海道は分厚い雪の道をみんな運転します。
・Hokkaido Weather Wikipedia (Japanese) 北海道の天候:
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8C%97%E6%B5%B7%E9%81%93%E3%81%AE%E6%B0%97%E5%80%99
・Hokkaido Wikipedia (English) 北海道:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido
・more Japanese source: https://www.tabirai.net/sightseeing/hokkaido/info/about/weather.aspx
This GIF from yesterday. Snow is falling down on the land quietly.
これは昨日の映像です。雪が静かに降っています。
My dog is always happy with snow days. He loves fresh snow. He is carrying an icy stick in the field.
わたしの犬は雪の日にはとても幸せそうです。降りたての雪が大好きです。雪が降った野原で、凍りついた木の棒を運んでいます。
Green trees, yellow maple, and red leaves are beautiful in the white snow.
白い雪の上の緑の木々、黄色のもみじ、赤い葉っぱがきれいです。
My dog's big paws and my big winter boots. People don't wear big snow boots in Nova Scotia much but I prefer big warm winter boots.
犬の大きな足跡と私の大きな冬のブーツ。ノバスコシアの人はあまり雪靴をはかない人が多いのですが、私はあったかい冬のブーツが好きです。
Thick white fluffy snow on the pine trees.
松の木の上に積もった分厚い白いふわふわの雪。
The car is also covered by thick snow. Free car wash!
車も分厚い雪に覆われています。無料洗車！
The summer garden in the backyard is also covered by snow. There is garlic under there.
夏の畑も雪に覆われています。雪の下にはニンニクが埋まっています。
He is so excited to smell and check everything in the snow.
雪の上の全てのにおいをかんで、全てのものをチェックして歩いています。
Usually, we can see the beautiful ocean and cliffs from here but not this day.
いつもは綺麗な海と崖が見える景色なのですが、この日は見えません。
Construction is also paused for a while.
工事もしばらく延期ですね。
The stove warmed up my house very much.
ストーブが家をかなり暖めてくれました。
So so beautiful
Nice photos
Thank you! I love taking snow photos :)
美しい！ドイツにいる家族からも今週は雪になるとのことで、これからのシーズン楽しみましょう。雪靴かわいい❄️💕
ありがとうございます！@akipponnさんの日本行きの記事拝見してきました。東京はまだ暖かそうですね。ドイツも雪ですかー。ドイツの冬はとても綺麗な印象があります。雪靴は場所をとるのですがやっぱり必要です。
Great photos! The first snowfall is always very beautiful! Ah, if you are from Hokkaido, this is normal for you then. I guess it's kind of normal for me too. In Indiana we get the lake effect—cold wind from Canada blows over Lake Michigan and picks up the water to dump as snow on Indiana—so there is usually plenty of snow in winter. Now in Okazaki, we rarely see any snow here. I'm always disappointed in that.
Thank you! All of the snow melted and it's snowing again. This season is always busy and up and down like this. Indiana sounds like a beautiful place! Lake Michigan sounds beautiful too. Maybe people enjoy fishing there. Okazaki sounds like a warm place. Hokkaido summer is very short and winter is very long.
Winter in Hokkaido is so beautiful, in Vietnam I don't have snow like in your place, I really want to go to Canada or Japan to enjoy the beautiful winter scenery here 🐬.
Someday, I want to go to Vietnam. I love Vietnamese movies and food culture. If you want to see snow, yes, please visit Hokkaido, or Canada!
Yes, Vietnam is very beautiful, if you come to Vietnam in the future, here we have a group of friends who are passionate about food and travel. We will guide you if you want.