Tokyo and the Pacific side of Japan braced for snow Saturday, as weather officials said a winter pressure pattern was expected to hit the areas along the Sea of Japan coast particularly hard overnight and into Sunday.

The coldest air mass of the season was drawing in freezing air and fueling expectations of widespread snowfall in Hokkaido and regions facing the Sea of Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which said accumulations could even occur in areas that usually see little snow, such as the Kanto, central Kinki and Kyushu regions.

The weather has raised the risk of major transportation disruptions ahead of a nationwide election on Sunday, something that could put a damper on turnout.

The system brought strong winds to Hokkaido on Saturday morning, with warnings for blizzard conditions and heavy snow expected to peak on Sunday.

In Tokyo, flurries were observed Saturday morning and afternoon, with roughly 3 centimeters forecast for the capital¡¯s 23 wards in the 24 hours through noon Sunday. Up to 10 cm were expected in some areas of the Kanto region, with the peak expected in the region¡¯s southern areas between Sunday morning and afternoon.

Elsewhere, up to 70 cm of snow is expected in Niigata Prefecture and Kinki and Chugoku regions, 60 cm in the Hokuriku region, 40 cm in Hokkaido and the Tohoku area and 30 cm in Nagano Prefecture, NHK reported.

The weather agency was urging people to be on alert for blizzard conditions, heavy snow, strong winds and high waves, as well as the possibility of avalanches. It also cautioned over snow accumulating on power lines and trees, causing power disruptions.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the death toll from heavy snowfall since Jan. 20 reached 45 nationwide as of Saturday morning.

Officials have advised commuters to keep a close eye on the weather, which could impact public transportation and make driving potentially difficult or dangerous.

East Japan Railway said Saturday that due to the potential snowfall, there¡¯s a possibility of significant delays in trains, destination changes and service suspensions in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The wintry weather coincides with Sunday¡¯s nationwide Lower House election, prompting Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to hold a meeting of ministers Tuesday and warn election officials and voters to be on alert for the deteriorating weather over the weekend.