SAPPORO, Japan (AP) — After two months of almost no snow, Japan’s northern city of Sapporo was overwhelmed when about 14 inches (34 centimeters) fell in just six hours following the nearly barren months of December and January. The snowfall was good news for tourism, for the “look” of the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, and for organizers who hope to bring the 2030 Winter Olympics to the city. Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympics back in 1972. But the lack of snow — and then an abundance of it — is also a sign that the local climate is changing, which has researchers in the area watching the weather very closely.
