1.
wet snow; heavy moist snow
Snow that contains a high amount of liquid water, making it heavy, dense, and sticky. Common in coastal regions and during warmer parts of winter, especially on the Sea of Japan side. Wet snow tends to cling to power lines, branches, and roofs, often causing damage and traffic disruption. Used in weather forecasts, news reports about snowstorms, and skiing/avalanche discussions.
湿雪が降る。
Wet snow is falling.
湿雪は重くて雪かきが大変だ。
Wet snow is heavy and hard to shovel.
湿雪の重みで枝が折れ、停電が起きた。
Branches broke under the weight of wet snow, causing a power outage.
Compound of 湿 ('damp; moist') and 雪 ('snow'). A specialist meteorological term contrasting with 乾雪 ('dry snow'). Used in formal weather reports, scientific writing, and disaster prevention contexts.
USAGE:
- Wet snow is denser than dry snow (often 2-3 times heavier per volume), so it is dangerous for roofs, trees, and power lines.
- Skiers distinguish wet snow as harder to ski on but better for snowman building and snowballs.
- The reading しっせつ} is a Sino-Japanese compound; in everyday speech, the descriptive phrase {湿った雪 ('damp snow') is often used instead.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 湿雪が降る: wet snow falls
- 湿雪注意報: wet-snow advisory
- 湿雪による被害: damage caused by wet snow
- 湿雪雪崩: wet-snow avalanche
- 重い湿雪: heavy wet snow
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 乾雪: dry snow — antonym; light, powdery snow with low water content, typical in cold inland regions.
- ぼたん雪: large fluffy snowflakes — a related everyday term for snow that falls in large clumps; often a form of wet snow.
- べた雪: sticky/heavy wet snow — colloquial near-synonym used in weather reports, especially in northern Japan.
- みぞれ}: sleet — mixture of rain and snow falling together; even wetter than {湿雪.
- 新雪: fresh snow — describes when the snow fell rather than its moisture content.