TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's weather agency and land ministry on Wednesday warned of heavy snowfall in regions along the Sea of Japan coast on the country's main island of Honshu and urged residents to avoid nonessential outings due to potential disruptions to road and rail traffic.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said northeastern and central regions could be blanketed with snow through Friday, with precipitation expected to intensify, particularly around Thursday.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said expressways or major roads could be closed as a precaution, depending on the extent of snowfall. The ministry noted that areas previously affected by heavy snow have experienced vehicle strandings, road closures, and significant disruptions to rail services.

The weather agency also warned that accumulated snow could cause houses damaged by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Noto Peninsula in central Japan to collapse.

In the 24 hours through Thursday noon, up to 70 centimeters of snow could accumulate in the Tohoku, Hokuriku and Tokai regions in northeastern and central Japan, while Hokkaido in northern Japan could see up to 60 cm and the Chugoku region in western Japan up to 50 cm, according to the agency.

In the following 24 hours, up to 70 cm of snow could accumulate in the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Tokai and Chugoku regions, the agency said.