積雪(せきせつ)

せきせつ
noun
snow cover; accumulated snow
formalweather
1. snow cover; accumulated snow; snowfall depth
Snow that has accumulated on the ground. Also used to describe the depth of accumulated snow, frequently in weather reports.
積雪(せきせつ)が50センチを超(こ)えた。
Snow accumulation exceeded 50 centimeters.
積雪(せきせつ)のため、道路(どうろ)が通行止(つうこうど)めになった。
The road was closed due to snow cover.
This year there's more snow accumulation than usual, making snow removal a real chore.

Commonly heard in weather forecasts and winter news reports. 積雪(せきせつ) measures the total depth of snow on the ground at a given time, as opposed to 降雪(こうせつ) (snowfall), which measures how much new snow has fallen.

Common collocations

Distinguish from 降雪(こうせつ) (snowfall — the act of snow falling) and 残雪(ざんせつ) (lingering snow — snow remaining in spring).