Mount Fuji gets its trademark snowcap after longest delay in 130 years, but still not official

Late snowfall on iconic Mt. Fuji sparks climate change concerns, breaking records and delaying official confirmation.

Japan's Mount Fuji finally got its trademark snowcap on Wednesday (November 6, 2024), more than a month after it normally would, after setting a record for the most-delayed snowfall in 130 years.

The first snowfall on Mt. Fuji, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, could be seen from the southwestern side of the mountain early Wednesday (November 6, 2024), according to the Shizuoka branch of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

But the JMA's Kofu Local Meteorological Office, which is on the other side of the mountain and has been in charge of making the announcement since 1984, still could not see the snow due to cloudy weather — meaning it's not official yet.

“The lack of snow on Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as of Tuesday (November 5, 2024) already broke the previous record set on October 26, 2016,” meteorological officials said.

Usually, the 3,776-meter (nearly 12,300-foot-) high mountain has sprinkles of snow falling on its summit starting October 2, about a month after the summertime hiking season there ends. Last year, snow fell on the mountain on October 5, according to the JMA.

The snowless Mt. Fuji has captured attention on social media. People posted photos showing the bare mountain, some expressing surprise and others concerned over climate change.

The JMA's Kofu office has cited October's surprisingly summery weather as the reason. The temperature earlier this year has been higher across Japan, including Mt. Fuji.