Snow has finally fallen on Mount Fuji, images showed Wednesday (Nov 6), after warm weather led to the Japanese mountain's longest-ever period with bare slopes.

The volcano's famous snowcap usually begins forming around Oct 2 on average, and last year, snow was first observed by government meteorologists on Oct 5.

Japan's weather agency, which observes conditions each year from the same location in Kofu City, has not yet confirmed a new record for the latest start to the snowcap, due to cloud cover at its monitoring station.

However, this year already marks the latest arrival of snow since comparative data began in 1894, surpassing the previous record of Oct 26, observed in both 1955 and 2016.

Photographs taken from various vantage points around Japan's highest mountain, where skies were clearer early on Wednesday, showed a dusting of snow on its peak.

“These are photos of Mount Fuji, seen from the city hall this morning. We could see a thin layer of snow cover near the summit," said a post on the official X account of Fuji City in central Shizuoka region.

Others in the area also shared their own photos of snow on the country's tallest peak, while aerial footage from national broadcaster NHK showed close-ups of white powder on the rocky slopes.

“Finally, the first snow cover! Mount Fuji looks beautiful with snow,” said a post from a nursing home, also in Fuji City.

An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in Kofu told AFP on Wednesday morning it was still too cloudy to declare a new record, and this remained the case in the afternoon.

“The temperature is low today, so any snow on the mountain will likely stay for now,” the official noted.

He added that global warming is among the factors contributing to the delayed snow cover, noting, "The temperature at the top of Mount Fuji in October was warmer than average."

Japan’s summer this year was the hottest on record—tied with 2023—as extreme heatwaves driven by climate change affected many parts of the globe.

Mount Fuji is typically snow-covered for most of the year, though during the July-to-September hiking season, more than 220,000 visitors make the trek up its steep, rocky slopes. Many ascend through the night to witness sunrise from the 3,776m summit.

The iconic mountain, famously depicted in countless artworks including Hokusai’s *Great Wave*, last erupted around 300 years ago. (AFP)