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Climate change is warping weather patterns fast enough to be felt in one human lifetime. I'm not sure there is much 'normal' weather anymore.

That being said, we had weather like this last February as well. But that was not a normal year by any standard.

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Weather this warm in February is certainly not normal, at least when compared to the long term average temps but it's also not incredibly unusual. A warm spell now is also not an indicator that Spring will be warm or March less snowy than usual. In '06 I remember it got to 7 degrees in Niseko mid Feb and we still went on to have 170cm+ in March. At least we don't have to heli in snow to get some runs open like they are at the Olympics! lol

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I have no worries for you JP dudes, you can just look out of your window and go, or not go. But fur us 'tourists' it's really worrisome. We have to book tickets to JP way way in advance.

 

Ok, you got a snow height that takes time to melt. But to ski in + temps is not really fun. I did a few times summer ski in the Alps, that's usually at plus temps. That's way different from winter-ski.

 

If that warm trend goes on it would be really "Niseko bubble about to burst". And other places too.

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Originally Posted By: Kraut_in_HongKong

If that warm trend goes on it would be really "Niseko bubble about to burst". And other places too.

If that warm trend continues then it will be "Niseko bubble about to get bigger". Japan will be one of the last places to have no snow so if you want to ski you will have to go there.
Not sure what the stats were 5000 thousand years ago however I reakon every day and every year would have been different then too. Global warming - not sure. Treat the environment well thumbsup
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Lets be clear that one weather event does not give any insight into climate change. And yes it's going to have to get a hell of a lot warmer for Hokkaido to start worrying about snow.

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Sure, Alps has sometimes similar problems. I heard Whistler had weather problems too. Didn't meant it's a typical JP problem. Other quality places just a little out of reach.

 

My plan would be just to book Tokyo (or Sapporo) and then decide on any ski place on short notice. I try to avoid weekends anyway, that makes transport and hotels easier.

 

PS: Hokkaido must be stunning in summer too I guess.

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We have a saying among the foreigners living in Niseko. We originally came here for the winter and snow but we end up living here for the summer. Yes summer is magnificent up this way. It is amazing to see the place transform from covered in metres of snow to a luxuriant green with almost tropical like growth. Parts of the very north and NE of Hokkaido can stay very cool right up until July but down here in the SW it's usually pretty warm from late May.

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Originally Posted By: TJ OZ
Not sure what the stats were 5000 thousand years ago however I reakon every day and every year would have been different then too. Global warming - not sure.

Average monthly temperatures for 1889-2010 on JAM's site make for interesting reading. I just looked at Nagano in January. At -4.9, 1945 must have been one awesome season! (January this season was -0.2, last season was 0.9, the season before -0.7 and the legendary 2005-06 season was -2.1) The data shows temperatures varied at lot from year to year even in the 19th century but also clearly shows the 1990s and 2000s had a lot less really cold Januaries than the 1970s and 1980s and at a glance I'd say from the 1950s, average temps over the decades have been creeping upwards.
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Those temps match very well with my experience and what I've heard of good and bad seasons over the last 5 years.

 

I agree on any given day a cold temp doesn't mean it's going to snow but averaged over a season it does. I doubt there's ever been a really cold season with a lack of snow.

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Originally Posted By: RobBright
Just because it's cold, doesn't necessarily mean snow tripler.


Ya, but if it's +10C you can guarantee it ain't gonna snow. I'll take clear and cold with the snow makers blowing all night over what we have this week.
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Originally Posted By: tripler
Those temps match very well with my experience and what I've heard of good and bad seasons over the last 5 years.

I agree on any given day a cold temp doesn't mean it's going to snow but averaged over a season it does. I doubt there's ever been a really cold season with a lack of snow.


especially in a country where all the weather has to cross an ocean to get here
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