Hakuba Now: Sunday 9th May 2021
- May 9, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 19, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 420cm
Posted on Sunday 9th May 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here.
Good morning from Hakuba.
After an initial delay due to wind the Happo-one gondola started moving at around 9:15am, but it was not to last. The windy conditions mean that unfortunately Happo-one has made the decision to close. This was the last day of the season, so that means that their season has now ended. And as Happo-one was the last ski area to remain open, that means that all ski areas in the Hakuba region are now closed.
The 2020-2021 season has ended.
The earlier drizzle has passed and there's increasing blue sky now.
Last season was one of various drama. There were ongoing worries about snow and then worries about that new virus thing that had appeared.
2020-2021 has been another season of drama.
I have been somewhat relieved to be able to report that the snow situation has been much better. Ski areas were able to be fully open and there have been some excellent conditions. There has, of course, been ups and downs. Such details can be found in my daily reporting.
If you are new to these reports, I think it is important to be clear on one thing. My observed snowfall each morning comes to you from base... not the top of the mountain. That is consistent through each season. It is also consistent with all the other Now reports on SnowJapan. (Having said that, making comparisons between different reports is very much not recommended - there’s so much more to the big picture than just base snowfall numbers…)
Unfortunately, the shadow of covid-19 continues to loom over us all. It has made this last year a (very) difficult one for so many people and businesses. Let us hope that everyone makes it through these bumpy times and that the situation - both here in Japan and elsewhere - will be brighter as we get to the other side of the summer.
As much as people are waiting to be able to once again visit Japan and Hakuba, the locals are also eagerly waiting them with welcoming smiles.
Fairly soon please.
Thanks for reading the reports.
I will be back later in the year as the 2021-2022 season approaches.
Hakuba Now 2020-2021 season |
Data as of Sunday 9th May 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 420cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 46 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 150cm reported on 12 days January 2021 snowfall 165cm reported on 19 days February 2021 snowfall 102cm reported on 13 days March 2021 snowfall 3cm reported on 2 days April 2021 snowfall 0cm May 2021 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.