雪が降ってる

Every morning I watch a television show called 「めざましテレビ」 (“Mezamashi TV“).

I watch this show every day while I’m getting ready for work and eating breakfast.
This show is a news magazine type show.
Of course they give the weather forecast every morning. And this morning, they said that it would be cloudy in the morning, then rain after lunch, and then begin snowing tonight and tomorrow.

And it happened just as they said. It began raining after lunch and now it’s snowing.

It doesn’t snow often in Tokyo. Usually only one or two times a year…and very rarely does it snow heavily.
It’s forecast to continue snowing tomorrow…but I doubt the trains will be delayed. I hope not.

Weather forecast for 2010 February 1 and 2 in Tokyo.

The weather forecast for Tokyo for 2010 February 1 and 2 says 90% chance of snow tonight (but it’s snowing now…so I guess it’s actually 100%), then 50% chance of snow tomorrow until 6AM…after 6AM, it should stop snowing.

Today the temperature was 5°C (low) to 9°C (high). Tomorrow, it’s forecast to be 1°C (low) to 10°C (high).

How’s the weather where you are?

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Also, we usually watch the テレビアニメ (TV cartoon) called 「ちびまる子」 (“Chibi-Maruko“) on Sunday evenings.

It’s a fun cartoon.
The マンガ (comic) series of 「ちびまる子」 (“Chibi-Maruko“) began in 1986.
The アニメ (cartoon) on TV started in 1990 January…so the TV series is celebrating it’s 20th year now.

I came to Japan in 1990…the same year that the 「ちびまる子」 (“Chibi-Maruko“) TV cartoon started.

(There was also a short-run live action TV series with actors that resembled the characters. But it wasn’t nearly as popular as the anime).

「ちびまる子」 (“Chibi-Maruko“) is drawn by an artist named さくら・ももこ (Sakura Momoko)…and the main character in the series is also named is さくら・ももこ (Sakura Momoko). Her nickname is まる子 (Maruko).

The story and characters are based on the artist and her family and friends when she was a third-grade student in the mid-1970s.

Have you ever watched the 「ちびまる子」 (“Chibi-Maruko“) TV cartoon or read the comic?

It’s gonna snow?

This winter it hasn’t snowed at all in Tokyo yet.

It usually snows once or twice every winter. Not too much…usually just enough to turn the ground white, and it melts away in a day or two.
(I seem to recall that it used to snowed more heavily and more frequently in Tokyo when I first got here in 1990. Is my memory off…or has global warming changed Tokyo’s winters?)

Anyways…it’s forecast to snow in Tokyo for two days next week. On Tuesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4.

There’s an 80% probability of rain for today, then cloudy tomorrow, Sunday and Monday are supposed to be mostly sunny…then the snow on Tuesday and Wednesday…followed by a cloudy day next Thursday.

Do you like snow?
Personally, I don’t care for it much. Actually I like Spring and Summer much more than Winter!

Tokyo's weather forecast for February 27 - March 5, 2009.

Niigata

Today my youngest daughter will leave with her class for a school field trip to 新潟 (Niigata, Japan)…which is on the other coast of Japan and further north from Tokyo.

(I mention it in an earlier post. Click here to read it.)

新潟 (Niigata, Japan) is near the 日本海 (Sea Of Japan).

When her older sisters were in the sixth grade (the grade my youngest is in), they went on the same trip. They both had a great time…and my youngest daughter is really excited about it.

This trip is five days long…they’ll return on February 24. On the trip, they’ll meet local craftsmen and make a traditional Japanese craft, go to an 温泉 (hot spring), and do some hiking…but what the kids are looking forward to is the snow skiing that they’ll do!

The weather in Japan has been really nice recently (although cold)…but it’s forecast to rain starting today and continue for most of next week (it’s also supposed to snow in 新潟 (Niigata).

I hope the weather is good for my daughter’s trip.

Here’s 全国の天気予報 (weather forecast for all of Japan) for today:

Japan's weather forecast for Feb. 20, 2009

Here’s this week’s 天気予報 (weather forecast) for Tokyo for the next seven days:

Tokyo's weather forecast for Feb. 20-26, 2009

It says there’s 90% chance of rain in Tokyo today…and 50-60% chance of rain on the 23rd and 24th.

In 新潟 (Niigata):

Weather forecast for Niigata for Feb. 20-26, 2009.

It says it’ll snow and rain in Niigata today…and snow again tomorrow, then rain on the 23rd and 26th.

When I was in my twenties, I went snow skiing a couple times. I’ve only ever skied in Japan…in 北海道 (Hokkaido) and 新潟 (Niigata) (where my daughter’s going today).

Have you ever gone skiing? Where? In Japan?