A strong cold front entered the skies above Hokkaido on October 18, and temperatures dropped to their lowest this season over a wide area, due to the phenomenon of radiative cooling, in which heat from the earth’s surface escapes in clear areas with no clouds. The lowest temperature of minus 5.6 degrees was recorded in the town of Shibecha in the Kushiro region, while the lowest temperatures of the season were also recorded at 107 of the 173 observation points in Hokkaido.

The temperature reached minus 5.1 degrees in the town of Teshikaga in the Kushiro region, minus 4.9 degrees in the town of Nakashibetsu in the Nemuro region, and minus 4.8 degrees in the town of Rikubetsu in the Tokachi region. The temperatures were in line with those usually experienced in late October and early November.

At Lake Toro in Shibecha, which was the coldest place in Japan, ‘ice fog’ occurred over the surface of the lake due to the difference in the temperatures of the air and water. Tourists who were enjoying canoeing on the lake could be seen filming the mystical sight caused by the rays of the rising sun.