SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 16 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 16 The following message has been posted on each of our daily reports on 16th February 2024 --------------------------------- This general message is being posted on each of our daily reports. It is not specific to any one region of Japan. It is hard to grasp that we are already in the second half of February. Where did all the time go? Being so busy with daily updates, every winter seems to fly by so very quickly... By all accounts, this season, there has been a rush of people visiting Japan from most corners of the world to enjoy the mountains. Many famous ski destinations have been busy with 'inbound' guests, with visitor numbers surpassing pre-COVID levels. That subject has been making regular national news here in Japan (and also provoking much-related discussion!) We sincerely hope everyone visiting enjoyed not only the skiing and snowboarding but also the whole Japan experience. And, of course, that everyone visiting in the coming weeks will also have a great time. There are not many things that the people behind SnowJapan love more than massive amounts of consistent snowfall. And skiing/snowboarding on it. That love is literally the reason why this website exists! Inbound visitor statistics aside, the main ski industry story of the 2023-2024 season so far is probably the relatively low snowfall levels across much of Japan. Some regions have been close to normal in terms of expected snowfall. Unfortunately, most regions of Japan haven't had as much snow as usual, some by a long way, and temperatures have stubbornly tended to track 'warmer than usual', which has meant more rain when it might have been snow. While it hasn't been a classic season in terms of the amount of snowfall, that's not to say there haven't been excellent conditions; many people, including this writer, have enjoyed some very fine days. And for most people, it has been perfectly fine. Reading this, you may very well be one of those. On a day-to-day basis, most visitors probably won't even notice 'the bigger picture' that is being discussed here. Less snow, however, has various implications for everyone involved in the ski season and dealing with that bigger picture. One of the big things is that the season will be shorter than usual. This last week has been particularly warm; unfortunately, a number of ski areas around Japan have already closed. Unless the weather patterns change significantly, we will be in a situation where we should expect some ski areas to be unable to remain open until their 'planned closing dates'. Those planned closing dates can be found on the individual ski area pages within SnowJapan. Please keep this in mind when looking at the information on our site. While it is impossible to cover the status of every ski area in real-time, our reporters will discuss this subject in our Now daily reports over the coming weeks. All being well, we will get more blasts of winter. Heck, it's still February, so we should! (And we plan to be still reporting into early May). However much more fresh snow we are blessed with across the coming weeks, the best thing we can do is appreciate and celebrate the precious snow we have. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted February 24 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted February 24 24th February 2024 We have started compiling the actual opening dates (and actual closing dates) of every ski area throughout Japan for the 2023-2024 season. It is becoming increasingly clear how challenging a season it has been in terms of snowfall for Japan. It is also clear that every region has been affected. Areas lucky enough to receive normal levels of snowfall are rare. For example, more than a few ski areas have not been able to open at all, quite a few have had to open and close multiple times, and some have already closed much earlier than planned. The completed information will be published in the spring once the season is over. Previous seasons data: https://www.snowjapan.com/guides/the-japan-skiing-experience/the-ski-season-in-japan Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted March 3 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted March 3 4th March 2024 It is really great to see some regions getting mid-winter-like snowfall over the last several days. It is too late for some, but it will help many ski areas remain open longer than they thought they would just a week ago. (And some very nice refreshed conditions, too!) Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted March 21 Author SnowJapan Admin Share Posted March 21 21st March 2024 Those who follow our daily reports will know that some regions have enjoyed more heavy snow again, making March 2024 a rather surprising (and pleasing) month. Some ski areas are even extending their season... It certainly has been a unique season! https://www.snowjapan.com/japan-daily-snow-weather-reports Link to post Share on other sites
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