About our daily reports
SnowJapan has been publishing daily winter reports for many years.
Our reports are not intended to provide daily assessments of piste or grooming conditions, or recommendations about where to ski, though practical observations may be included where relevant and the situation is clear.
Instead, they are intended to provide an ongoing record and commentary of the winter season, with a particular focus on weather, snowfall and changing conditions. While observed snowfall numbers are included, the written reports provide the context that numbers alone cannot.
Conditions in mountain regions can change quickly. Each report should therefore be considered a snapshot of conditions at the time it is posted.
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Independence
SnowJapan Now reports are entirely independent.
They are not sponsored by ski areas, tourism organisations or other businesses. Reports are not written on behalf of, or at the suggestion of, outside organisations.
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The aim is simply to provide honest, on-the-ground information based on local observation and experience, without promoting specific regions, ski areas or services. Reports reflect conditions as they are observed, whether good or poor.
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How the reports are created
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The reports are written by people based in the regions they cover and are provided exclusively for SnowJapan. Many of the reporters have lived in their areas for many years.
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Reports are based on first-hand observations, combined with information from local ski areas and weather forecasts where appropriate.
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In addition to observations from their reporting locations, reporters also consider surrounding areas when preparing regional reports. For wider regional reports (as opposed to those covering an individual ski area), feedback from a number of trusted local sources may also be taken into account.
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Each report section is written by its own reporter, and individual writing styles will naturally vary. We regard that as a positive feature of the reports, giving each section its own character and perspective. As with everything on this website, SnowJapan does not publish AI-generated content.
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These reports are written by people working on the ground each day, taking time to observe conditions and reflect what is actually happening in real locations.
About observed snowfall numbers
Observed snowfall figures represent the amount of fresh snowfall measured since the previous report from a consistent base-level location for each reporting area.
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Because snowfall can vary significantly over short distances in mountain environments, conditions elsewhere within the same ski area or region may differ from the observed figure.
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More snow will almost certainly fall at higher elevations than at base level, but the base is the only location where we can reliably and consistently measure and report observed snowfall every day throughout the season. This has been our consistent policy since we started recording observed snowfall in 2012.
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All observed snowfall figures are recorded using the same method at the same location for each report area throughout the season. This consistency allows meaningful comparison over time within the same reporting area.
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Where available, our reporters also mention snowfall figures that ski areas themselves are reporting from higher up the mountain.
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If you believe a significant factual error has been made in a report, please contact us.
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​Comparing regions
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Each Now report is independent and should be considered on its own terms.
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Snow conditions are influenced by many factors beyond snowfall totals, including elevation, wind, temperature, humidity and terrain. These factors can vary significantly between regions, even during the same weather system.
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For that reason, we do not directly compare snowfall figures between different reporting regions. We also encourage readers to avoid direct comparisons and not to focus solely on headline snowfall numbers.
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As explained above, comparisons within an individual Now report section can be useful because observations are made from the same location using the same approach throughout the season.
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Reporting locations
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Each Now report is based on observations from a specific location. Consistency is important, which is why reports are gathered from the same spot throughout the season.
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Furano Now comes from near the base of the Kitanomine Zone of Furano ski area in Furano City, Hokkaido. About 240m above sea level.
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Geto Kogen Now comes from near the base of Geto Kogen ski area in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture. About 650m above sea level.
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Hakuba Now comes from near the base area of Happo-one (and supporting information from Hakuba 47/Goryu) in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture. About 750m above sea level.
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Madarao Now comes from near the base of Madarao Mountain Resort ski area in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture. About 900m above sea level.
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Myoko Now comes from near the base of Akakura Kanko ski area in Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture. About 750m above sea level.
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Niseko Now comes from near the base of Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu ski area in Kutchan Town, Hokkaido. About 250m above sea level.
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Nozawa Now comes from near the base of Nozawa Onsen ski area in Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture. About 560m above sea level.
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Shiga Kogen Now comes from the central area of Shiga Kogen in Yamanouchi Town, Nagano Prefecture. About 1500m above sea level.
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Yuzawa Now comes from the central town area of Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture. About 360m above sea level.
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Zao Now comes from near the base of Zao Onsen ski area in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. About 900m above sea level.​​
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The archive
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The current reporting format, including recorded daily snowfall observations, was introduced for the 2012–2013 season. Some simpler reports published before then were available in a different format. While we considered including them in the archive, they were created using a different reporting approach and do not offer the same level of consistency as reports published since 2012. For that reason, we chose to focus the archive on reports from the 2012–2013 season onwards, when we started keeping snowfall data records.
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As part of the renewal of the SnowJapan website in 2026, we also reviewed the archive itself. Every historical report was considered individually. Rather than reproduce every report exactly as originally published, we focused on preserving the seasonal record. All reports that recorded new observed snowfall have been retained, along with other reports that contribute to the commentary of each season.
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To make the archive easier to browse, historical report pages no longer include the photos and detailed weather information that originally accompanied many reports. These elements will continue to be included in new reports from the 2026–2027 season onwards, where available.
Apart from the removal of those elements and the correction of a small number of obvious spelling mistakes, the wording of the reports themselves has not been changed.
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Timing of reports
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Our reports are not really intended for people planning to get on the first ski lifts early in the morning. Instead, they are intended to provide more of an ongoing commentary of the whole season. That process includes collecting information each morning from ski areas. Such information is often only available after a certain time each morning. It also takes time to put a report together, not to mention practical - and personal - circumstances that might affect timing.
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We try to have reports posted earlier than later, but times may vary.
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Reporting interruptions or delays
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SnowJapan Now reports are usually published daily throughout the winter season. However, there may be occasions when reports are late, delayed or interrupted for some reason. In such cases, we will be doing what we can to get them back to normal as quickly as possible.
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Who writes the reports?
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We do not share the names of the people who post our reports for several reasons, including that many prefer to remain anonymous. However, you can be sure that we trust the individuals who write the reports on SnowJapan. If you wish to send comments about any of our reports, please get in touch and we will pass them on.
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We would also like to publicly thank the people who write our Now reports. They remain anonymous, but their dedication to observing, recording and sharing conditions throughout the winter season is what makes these reports possible. Without their long-term commitment, these daily Now reports would not be possible.
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Adding new Now reports
We are always keen to consider new daily reports. It is not easy to post quality reports every day throughout a long season - it is a significant commitment from both the reporters and us. However, we will only publish a Now report section when we are very confident that we can do so consistently and throughout the season and to a certain quality.​ Suggestions are always welcome.
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About 'official snow depth' figures
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The 'official snow depth' figures displayed within SnowJapan originate from the ski areas themselves.​ SnowJapan does not measure or control these figures, and there is no industry-wide standard governing how ski areas report snow depth. In many cases, official snow depth measurements are taken higher on the mountain rather than at base level.​
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About SnowJapan
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About our daily reports (this page)