The march was carried out on the day of the lowest temperature ever recorded in the country (on January 25, -41.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature ever observed in Japan, was recorded in Asahikawa) when Typical winter pressure patterns such as, the high-pressure area to the west, and the low-pressure area to the east, and an unprecedented cold air mass was covering the Japanese archipelago.
雪中行軍が行われたのは、冬季によく見られる典型的な西高東低の気圧配置で、未曾有の寒気団が日本列島を襲っていた時で、日本各地で観測史上における最低気温を更新した日でもある（旭川で1月25日、日本最低記録である-41.0℃を記録した）。