muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I got up early this morning, setting out for Hakuba at about 5:30am, arriving before 8:30am. It was very interesting cutting across from our part of Niigata into Hakuba and seeing how much snow different areas have. Muikamachi > Ishiuchi --- huge amounts of snow; Ishiuchi > Nakasato --- silly amounts of snow (silly = more than huge amounts of snow); Nakasato > Tsunan --- ridiculously silly amounts of snow; Tsunan > Sakae --- even sillier than that; Sakae > Nozawa --- probably the silliest. Nothing has ever been sillier. Seriously, the walls were getting on for 5+m in some places! Nozawa > Iiyama --- silly amounts of snow; Iiyama > Nagano --- getting much less very quickly as approach Nagano city; Around Nagano --- almost no snow in places; Nagano > near Hakuba --- not much at all really; Hakuba --- quite a lot, but I would say generally 1/3 of what there is around Tsunan/Nozawa area and probably about half what we have in Muikamachi. Still in Hakuba. I am happy with my timing - got amazing blue skies this morning, I was very excited. What a truly stunning backdrop Hakuba has. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 You wouldnt believe how handy this is! Ive been wondering where to take my mate on his first trip in japan. I was thinking between nozawa, hakuba, or myoko. Im pretty sure i might just head to nozawa then purely on the basis of your driving down the roads just from the picture youre painting here. (: Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Myoko is pretty mad as well of course, but I don't go through Myoko on the way to Hakuba. Sadly, I didn't take any photos - I was in a bit of a are-we-there-yet, are-we-there-yet, want-to-take-photos-of-mountains kind of speedy rush to get here! Maybe on the way back but I suspect it will be dark then. Some impressive snow walls though that's for sure. If impressive snow walls is a requirement, I would certainly choose Nozawa or Myoko. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 I might add that even with all that snow there was hardly any holdups at all, and that was probably 'morning rush hour' related as well. Clear roads. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 it just bears out with all the data on the site... hakuba seems to be having a poor one comparatively speaking (though i doubt anyones complaining), compared to nozawa and myoko (though its doing a lot better than shiga kogen). Either way, just had a look at the weather report and only really a small tiny topping on thursday so this weekend is kinda rubbish anyway. The weekend after hes on training i think, so two weeks to pray for snow. I seriously want this dude to get to play in some powder before it all starts getting a bit cruddy. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Obviously, these are general observations of how much snow places have at town levels as I drove through these places. Just before anyone potentially gets uppity about it. Hakuba wins hands down in terms of that stunning mountain range looming over it. Minamiuonuma mountains will look weeny when I get back! Hope my pics from today come out good. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Can't wait to see them! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 yeah, the mountains around Hakuba are fantastic.........beautiful area of the country, really gives you that "big mountain" feel Link to post Share on other sites
jjski 0 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Agree with ippy, great report. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 oh oh! Did someone go against the massive Hakuba PR machine and say there isn't much snow? I sense something is going to happen today.... Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Now, now.... There's plenty, just not as crazy as those other places - which are defintiely crazy! I had a fab day yesterday, hopefully today too. I will of course post a report when I get back. Link to post Share on other sites
69 5 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Interesting joho! Look forward to seeing your pics from Hakkers. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 "Sakae > Nozawa --- probably the silliest" Poor Sakae. Hit by a Shindo 6+ quake March 11th one year and then recent record levels of snow the next. With lots of elderly people living there, I doubt the huge snowfall is much cause for celebration in Sakae. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Nakasato? Different from the Nakazato in Yuzawa surely? Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Nakasato-mura is a small village next to Ishiuchi (Minamiuonuma) on the other side of the mountain on Route 353, so when muikabochi goes to Nozawa/ShigaKogen/Hakuba etc he comes over that way. Actually it's not officially Nakasato-mura anymore, as it is now part of Tokamachi-shi. Let's gappei! Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I have no doubt you were planning on being here on a clear, blue sky day but ----- great timing, muikabochi! It was a beautiful day yesterday. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The snow walls around Hakuba are not as high this year. It has been a strange year, we have had plenty of top ups but not the huge snowfalls that regularly come in winter. On the drive through Otari, next village to Hakuba, where Hakuba Cortina is located then the snow walls are much more impressive! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Actually I think I posted last year about this, but every time I have been to Hakuba the walls have been considerably smaller than in these parts. I think Hakkers just doesn't get 'em like we do in town here, bottom line. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 When I was in Hakuba last year Mid Feb, the snow walls really were not that high at all, rather disappointed actually! When I compare it to other parts of Nagano or of course Niigata there is simply no comparison! I think the most snow I have ever seen was in Tsunan, simply massive amounts there! Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Thought this might be the place... Just on the Niigata news, apparently this winter there was 1.8 times the amount of snow in Niigata than the average in the last 5 seasons. That's all I got from it, hardly scientific but there you go! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 From the JMA records for Niigata city it was the snowiest winter since 1986. Since 1953 (when the records begin) there's only been 5 winters with more snowfall than this season. It was a big one for that part of the world! They have recorded 304cm of snowfall. Compare that to only 16cm in 2006/2007 which was the lowest ever recorded. The highest was 422cm in 1983/1984 season. Wakkanai in the far NW of Hokkaido had it's 2nd snowiest winter on record. The snowiest was recorded in 2009/2010. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 We didn't get 1.8 in this particular area, but I can believe it for others. To the north in Uonuma, Ojiya and Nagaoka there has been clearly more than usual. One thing for sure as well....... It's taking it's time to melt away. Not warming as much as usual, lots of my bike roads are still blocked off with snow which is very unusual for mid April. Lots of diggers out breaking up the snow as well more than usual, farmers aren't liking it. Still well over 1m behind my house, even with today's horrid rain. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 And contrary to many reports by the hype brigade from Niseko they had slightly below average snowfall in Kutchan. They recorded more in the 09/10 season Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted April 14, 2012 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted April 14, 2012 I think we'll definitely wrap up and update the JMA Kutchan snowfall numbers in the Now report at the end of the season, so it'll be there for the record. Still lots around these parts yes, it just isn't melting very quickly at all. Link to post Share on other sites
DoctorOctopus 2 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I remember the first time I went to Yuzawa a few years back and was just amazed at the amount of snow they get in town. Mind boggles how people deal with it. Love it. Link to post Share on other sites
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