Myoko Now: Monday 6th May 2019
- May 6, 2019
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 1705cm
Posted on Monday 6th May 2019 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here.
The last day of season 2018-2019; it's really getting green at base level, but there's enough snow for a fun last day on the slopes (and of the long Golden Week as well). No reason to head back to the big city just yet; avoid the traffic jams by skiing the day away! Maybe get out early, though, as the weather looks like it might go rainy later in the day.
Pretty good snow year this year. As I wrote in one of my mid-season reports, enough snow to shock some of our new, foreign hotel owners ("It's a weird snow year, isn't it?" No; no, it's not; last season, when you were looking for property, it was a low snow year). Snow dominates winter so much here; people buying resort homes and not planning for what to do when they're not around are going to pay for it in damaged roofs and broken windows. It happened to a lot of Japanese in the bubble years (look at all the destroyed old cabins out in the woods) and I think it's going to happen again in this boom.
OK, enough of a rant there, but I think regular visitors know what I'm talking about. And now, with the huge crowds of January and February gone, we're back to the quiet and beauty of the mountains. All those new shoots softening the scenery; the walls of snow it seems like will never disappear now gone except for pockets of snow in the shade. Soon there will be tons more people up on the peak of Mt. Myoko every day than ever get there in the winter, but you barely notice them as they wind up the trails to the summit. Of course, it's pretty much a jungle off the trails, so you really can't see them anyway.
And to give the entire ski perspective, the season is not completely over; hike up to Mt. Hiuchi and you'll be able to ski right through this month, for sure. Nice views up there, too (no lifts, though). Your reporter is heading off to a corner of the Northern Alps this weekend, in fact, to get one last set of big turns in...
Looking forward to reporting for you again next season! The snow depth pole is standing out in the yard, ready to let us know total depth; the white snow boards we poke every morning are getting a fresh coat of paint and a well-earned rest in a cool, dark part of the office. Maybe even add some new exterior temperature/humidity sensors...
See you in November for a pre-season warmup report!
Myoko Now 2018-2019 season |
Data as of Monday 6th May 2019 Total snowfall at base so far 1705cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 68 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 92cm (9th January) November 2018 snowfall 5cm reported on 1 day December 2018 snowfall 475cm reported on 16 days January 2019 snowfall 648cm reported on 21 days February 2019 snowfall 397cm reported on 14 days March 2019 snowfall 97cm reported on 11 days April 2019 snowfall 83cm reported on 5 days May 2019 snowfall 0cm |
All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. 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.