TOKYO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The season's first snowcap was observed on Japan's Mt. Fuji on Thursday, occurring 21 days later than average but 15 days earlier than last year, a local meteorological office said.
The Kofu Local Meteorological Office in Yamanashi Prefecture, which declares the news every year, observed a layer of snow on the 3,776-meter-high summit of the country's tallest volcano at around 6 a.m. local time.
The observatory said the snowfall was caused by the presence of clouds and cold air above the mountain since Wednesday.
The temperature fell to minus 6.4 degrees Celsius at a spot near the summit at around 1 a.m. local time Thursday, according to an observation system of the Japan Meteorological Agency.
On average, Japan's tallest peak, straddling Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, dons its first snowcap on Oct. 2. The mountain reached the annual milestone on Nov. 7 last year, setting a record for the slowest snowfall in 130 years. ■
