As of Wednesday, 15 prefectures have been affected, with snow reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in worst-hit areas. The unusually heavy snowfall is largely due to a cold air mass from the Arctic that has lingered over the Japanese archipelago.

The National Weather Service has issued a new winter storm warning, which is expected to bring several inches of snowfall and heavy winds to several states. This time, we’re expecting a combination of factors to wreak havoc across the Midwest and into the southern U.