Mt. Takadake is in the Aso volcano zone of Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern most island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four main islands, but not ALL of Japan’s island.

The mountain was found snowcapped Tuesday. The Kyushu region had its first snow of the season says the Kumamoto local meteorological observatory. The snow on the 1,592 meter (5,250′) peak came one day later than average but 16 days earlier than last year.

Light rain in the Aso area turned to snow early Tuesday morning because of a stream of cold air. And this happened on Japan’s southernmost main island, you know, where it’s warmer and such. The temperature in the area stood at 3.2 C at 4:04 a.m. However, it started falling and marked minus 0.5 C at 12:32 p.m. just cold enough to snow.

Global cooling? Of course, we can’t say so from one isolated incident such as this. But, to be sure, we only hear about when it’s warmer, not when it’s cooler than usual. How about a balanced hearing, eh?

Image courtesy of morygonzalez

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Global cooling in Kenya? Well, it’s definitely not getting warmer everywhere!

There was a hailstorm in Kenya, about 220km from Nairobi. The heavy hailstorm fell on a deforested hillside in Gikingi Village. Snow followed to children’s delight and snowmen were … well, nothing about the snowmen. Not enough of the white stuff. But perhaps for the first time ever, Kenyans discovered what a cold drink tastes like, no?

“I have not seen such a thing ever since I was born,” said one resident of Nyahururu.

“The hailstones falling on the ground joined together to form expansive sheets of ice or snow flakes occupying a large area, 30 acres,” Kenya’s Meteorological Department said.

There’s got to be a scientist, sophisticated or otherwise reading GP who can explain to me in terms I can understand (remember, I am slow) how snow or in that case ice, can fall in Kenya which sits just 1 degree south of the equator.

Even if I don’t get an explanation, Kenyans had a treat for a day. Now where’s Santa in the middle of summer when you need him?

Sources: 1, 2

Mt. Fuji is tall enough to get snow pretty early on in the season. It’s something like 3,776 meters. I know, I have been up it three times…despite the old proverb.

“He who climbs Fuji once is wise, he who climbs it twice is a fool.”

What about three times?

Anyway, it can get cold up there in late spring, early fall. But, this year, snow fell on Mt. Fuji on August 9th. It is the earliest time ever for Japan’s iconic symbol to get snow fall.

The previous record was August 12th, 1914.

This year’s snowfall is 53 days earlier than average and 58 days earlier than last year.

Does that mean Japan can expect a serious winter?

Or is just Global Cooling?