Hakuba Now: Friday 5th May 2023
- May 5, 2023
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 444cm
Posted on Friday 5th May 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here.
Good morning from Hakuba.
That's it, folks. Today is officially the last day of the season for ski lifts at the ski areas in the region.
Nice weather for it too.
We already knew Hakuba Goryu and Hakuba 47 would close at the end of today, but yesterday evening Tsugaike also announced that today would be its last day for skiing and snowboarding.
With the season officially ending today, this will be my last report of the season.
The season started with a whole lot of excitement as the international borders opened, allowing people to actually get here once again. What a relief that was for so many people!
Once it got going, we had a good start with fine, consistent snowfall starting from 14th December. A positive start to the season like that makes such a big difference. Aside from snow conditions themselves, obviously, it just makes everything feel right and creates its own buzz.
Overall, we got less snowfall than last season, and spring arrived early. However, those phenomena seem to have been Japan-wide, not just in this region. Still, as you can see from this report, some ski areas have managed to remain open until 5th May. They did really well, and I thank them.
I was determined to get out, enjoy this season as much as possible, and appreciate the fine things we are blessed with. And I did just that, enjoying many days of excellent conditions this season. I love this place.
It has been great to see some old (but young, at least at heart) friends from overseas again, and places have definitely felt livelier this year. With the Japanese government finally dropping all remaining covid-related entry requirements in recent days, it feels like 2023-2024 will be a big one. Strap in, folks; a lot of people are going to be coming!
I only cover the winter season, of course, but remember that Hakuba is a beautiful place throughout the year, with many things to enjoy. If this week is any indication, the green season will also be quite lively here this year.
It has been a pleasure to share the Hakuba ski season with you. It has seemed very long... but also short. Such complicated feelings.
So, thanks for reading. I'll return with Hakuba Now reports in November as the 2023-2024 winter season approaches.
Hakuba Now 2022-2023 season |
Data as Friday 5th May 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 444cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 50 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (25th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 164cm reported on 17 days January 2023 snowfall 178cm reported on 17 days February 2023 snowfall 88cm reported on 13 days March 2023 snowfall 12cm reported on 2 days April 2023 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day May 2023 snowfall 0cm |
All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report.