noun
sudden heavy snowfall; dump of snow
Colloquial term for a sudden, heavy snowfall that accumulates quickly, often causing disruption. The prefix ドカ evokes a forceful, abrupt action.
昨夜のドカ雪で、車がすっかり埋まってしまった。
The heavy snowfall last night completely buried my car.
ドカ雪のせいで電車が止まっている。
The trains are stopped because of the sudden heavy snow.
大雪 is the standard, neutral term for heavy snow. ドカ雪 is more colloquial and emphasizes the sudden, forceful nature of the snowfall.
Compound of the mimetic prefix ドカ (expressing a sudden, forceful action) and 雪 (snow). The exact origin of ドカ is uncertain, but it is commonly used in colloquial words to indicate a heavy or abrupt occurrence.