Japan uses sprinklers that spray warm underground water to melt the snow on the roads
Japan uses sprinklers that spray warm underground water to melt the snow on the roads
Japan uses sprinklers that spray warm underground water to melt the snow on the roads
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Niigata, where the sprinklers are located, is one of the snowiest places in Japan. It snows as much as Minneapolis, MN, but the place itself is in a subtropical climate, so it rarely gets below 0°C. Knowing this, the Japanese use sprinklers that spray warm underground water to melt snow on the roads.
There is not much information on the internet about this, I only found one video that explains it in detail: https://youtu.be/2CyKgFUm6W4
As long as temperatures quickly rise above freezing, they’d be quite innovative. For areas that suffer below freezing temps over sustained lengths of time, they’d add to the problem by re-freezing once the warm water stops.
This is called a [消雪パイプ](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B6%88%E9%9B%AA%E3%83%91%E3%82%A4%E3%83%97) (shousetsu pipe – water-clearing pipe) and, as you say, is very common in Niigata. It’s also used on a larger scale to keep the Joetsu Shinkansen train lines clear of snow during the winter.
Fortunately, the lowland areas of Niigata don’t stay sub-freezing for long, and in the higher elevations the water just never stops. As u/OldCrypt mentioned, the water is kept flowing until a safe temperature is reached. The ones outside of my workplace place are usually on 24/7 for most of January and February.
As with anything, it has positives and negatives. While it really does help keep snow manageable on the roads, it can make drainage a serious problem if snow falls heavily enough to cover up the storm drains.
I was thinking that this must cost a fortune – but is it natural hot spring water like at an onsen?