Friday March 16, 9:16 AM

LEAD: Tokyo observes latest ever 1st snowfall

Central Tokyo observed its latest ever first snowfall Friday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The first snow between the start of winter and mid-March, logged at 7 a.m. in the capital's Otemachi area, came 73 days later than in an average year and more than a month later than the previous record of Feb. 10 in 1960, the agency said. The quantity of snow was so small that it did not cover the ground.

It came 95 days later than the previous year.

The agency said earlier that Tokyo had experienced its first winter without snow since 1876 as the Otemachi observatory point recorded no snow from December to February, the period defined as winter in Japan.

Tokyo is inclined to have snow in the early spring, the agency said.