sanjo 2 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Interesting. So over the same period of 27 years: Kutchan average: 1171.519cm Yuzawa average: 1197.37cm Looks like Yuzawa wins! Unless of course, we find a way to explain why the number 1171 is more than 1197. I'm sure we can! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Nice! As I say if Forbes had any reliable data from other ski areas in Japan their list of snowiest resorts in the world would be dominated by Japanese resorts. Problem is Japanese resorts don't seem to understand the incredible marketing power of such high snowfall amounts! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Originally Posted By: sanjo Interesting. So over the same period of 27 years: Kutchan average: 1171.519cm Yuzawa average: 1197.37cm Looks like Yuzawa wins! Unless of course, we find a way to explain why the number 1171 is more than 1197. I'm sure we can! Don't know how many times I have to say I don't believe this area is the snowiest in Japan. But I would say if you went up another 187m here the average would be quite a bit higher From the stats on this site I make a rough calculation that Hirafu (at between 250-300m asl) gets at least 1.3 times the snowfall in Kutchan due to it's slightly higher altitude and the orographic effect of being closer to the mountain (Kutchan is on a plain some distance from the mountain with little to no orographic effects). Still Kutchan is the undisputed snowiest town on the planet under 200m as far as I can tell. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 So yuzawa wins? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Actually there would be plenty of areas with much higher average snowfall than Yuzawa. Tokamachi for one I'd think. Seki Onsen at Myoko regularly seems to have the highest snowdepth at any resort in Japan, so I'd guess that area has huge snowfalls as well. The Hakoda mountains in Aomori get incredibly impressive depths as well and the base area there I'm sure would average huge amounts. The list could go on and on... Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted February 11, 2011 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 11, 2011 Tokamachi, Niigata 1983 1061 57 228 1984 1661 59 364 1985 1479 79 295 1986 1922 78 336 1987 2159 55 200 1988 1536 49 225 1989 954 38 85 1990 892 53 196 1991 1041 49 249 1992 913 72 148 1993 1221 62 181 1994 1207 71 174 1995 1166 58 221 1996 1300 64 277 1997 882 49 167 1998 869 54 199 1999 975 74 239 2000 1092 49 223 2001 1242 48 248 2002 912 43 224 2003 986 68 147 2004 879 52 172 2005 1343 74 313 2006 1471 49 323 2007 630 31 87 2008 996 41 219 2009 631 44 84 Average: 1163.704 Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Where are you getting the stats from Andrew? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted February 11, 2011 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 11, 2011 My friend, he has been sending me them as I ask just now. Exciting evening hey! I'll try and find out exactly where and share if I do. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Yeah I'd love to get the links (if there are links). If there is good reliable data out there I wish JMA would list it! Seriously though it's crazy isn't it that Japanese resorts don't have reliable stats for snowfall? Most ski areas in the world that have big annual snowfalls market it extensively. Whistler loves to market their annual snowfall which at over 1,500m barely averages the same amount of snow we are getting in towns here at less than 500m. Imagine what the resorts are getting on their upper slopes? Mt Baker in the US has the highest ever recorded annual snowfall at 29m and the highest average at 16.4m but I reckon plenty of Japanese resorts would blow that average figure out of the water on their upper slopes. And it would mostly be powder rather than the wet slop they often get at Baker. Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 So 26cm difference between Yuzawa and Kutchan - not much in it, a difference of 2.2%. 20m - 29m of snow Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Originally Posted By: Go Native Seriously though it's crazy isn't it that Japanese resorts don't have reliable stats for snowfall? I can't beleive there at least isn't some nerd living there that keeps there own Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 You know, some Japanese resorts actively downplay the amount of snow they get. Wouldn't want to scare the folks off and have them thinking there's too much snow, can't get there, etc etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Originally Posted By: Tex Originally Posted By: Go Native Seriously though it's crazy isn't it that Japanese resorts don't have reliable stats for snowfall? I can't beleive there at least isn't some nerd living there that keeps there own There are! What about the stats on the Now! reports Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Yeh true, he sounds like a real nerd So 15.10m average in Hirafu or is that the 1000m mark? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I would put it at about 15m at village level and up to around 18m at the 1000m mark. And this is by no means the snowiest resort in Japan. As I say I reckon if they took proper snowfall readings in Japan at resorts I'd think Baker's title of the snowiest resort in the world would topple rather quickly. It would barely make the top 10. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Some pretty impressive stats for Mt Baker nonetheless http://www.mtbaker.us/1011/ski-area-info/statistics/ Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Originally Posted By: Go Native the Japanese don't appear to be all that interested in promoting the incredible amounts of snow they receive!! In terms of snow and lifts/runs Yuzawa probably has enough to satisfy most of the folks who go to Hakuba or Niseko. There is a lot more to it than snow and lifts/runs though. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I found this chart...don't know how accurate it is. http://www.ski-adventure-guide.com/historical_snowfall.html Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Rasutu sure does get some good snow too, wonder where that is actually I am a serial mispeller myself... Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 That resort "Nagano" sounds good too! Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 BIG resort that one Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I hear the lifts don't all connect very well, though. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I went from Minamiuonuma to Hakuba and back and here's how I saw the general snow levels on the way. Not science of course just relative numbers with 5 being most and 1 being least Minamiuonuma (Niigata) - 4.5 Nakazato (Niigata) - 4.5 Tsunan (Niigata) - 4 Sakae (Nagano) - 4.5 Nozawa area (Route 117) - 3 Nagano area - 1 Between Nagano and Hakuba - 2 Hakuba - 3.5 There was noticeably less snow around Hakuba village than there is in Minamiuonuma town area. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Is 5 bottomless? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Originally Posted By: muikabochi Hakuba - 3.5 No, obviously bottomless is 3.5 Link to post Share on other sites
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