A large crevice formed in the snow covering the artificial mountain “Mt. Moere” (52 meters tall) at Moerenuma Park in the Higashi-ku area of Sapporo. The park management office has prohibited entry to the mountain and surrounding area due to the risk of snowslide.

On the morning of February 11, a staff member discovered that the bare ground was exposed in the area around midway up the eastern slope. At that time the crevice was 90 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.8 meters deep. The office temporarily prohibited entry to the area from that day onward. As of February 13, the crevice has grown even larger, exceeding 150 meters in length and 8 meters in width.

The mountain is usually used for snow-sledding in the winter season. The management office believes the crevice was caused by record levels of snowfall in early February. Except for Mt. Moere and the surrounding area, the rest of Moerenuma Park is open as usual. However, the office may consider expanding the off-limits area depending on how the crevice situation develops.