Myoko Now: Monday 6th May 2024
- May 6, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 7, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 1048cm
Posted on Monday 6th May 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here.
Last day for snow fun in Myoko, and just barely. This is the final day at Lotte Arai, and it's just barely there, with a snowpack of 14cm at the top Zendana lift. I saw the ski area from below yesterday, and there was a nice, clean, white area of ski runs up there at the top. I have to give them credit, because as fast as the snow is melting, and as rapidly as the mountain is turning green from the base up, they were able to keep going to their planned final day.
I have to add, though, that the wind has been blowing pretty steadily and strong from the southwest, so there is a chance of wind closures, and rain is also forecast. So if you're a hardcore skier, and you want bragging rights for being out on the last day, today is your chance.
See you in autumn, when we preview the new season!
The following message was originally posted in the Myoko Now report from 1st April 2024:
OK, the season is pretty much over, and what a strange one it was.
Really low snow levels for most of the season; we never got multiple days of heavy snow, something we used to expect. Instead we'd get a day of snow, then a day of sun and warmer temperatures. Then March arrived (as the international crowds left) and the snow started to fall. And it's decided to stay pretty cold, although the recent winds have eaten up a lot of the snowpack. The closing day, too, kept up the craziness with soupy fog and almost zero visibility. Always something unexpected for 2023-24.
The local opinion: people are nervous that this will be the new normal for us (and not just Myoko). Less snow, greater temperature changes, less safe conditions in the backcountry (and less access to our backcountry, which needs some pretty good snowfall early on to bury the small trees and vines and other obstacles - we have no Alpine zone here). There's lots of talk about the potential big investments coming in, and I know many of you have voiced your concerns too (and thanks for your affection for Myoko!), but a lot of the locals are simply saying, we might not have the snow in 10 or 20 years that will make any massive investment worth it. My own feeling is that this is a skier's mountain, with an amazing natural world all around, and not a place for shopping centers and glitzy five-star hotels. OK, we have the Akakura Kanko Hotel (and its ski area) which is one of the oldest ski resorts anywhere, and a multi-star hotel that also boasts a unique style with a lot of history behind it.
I should note, too, that Akakan is not running this spring so construction can begin on the Sky Cable gondola. They're putting in new cabins that are taller/larger than the current ones, so the access areas have to be reconfigured. That's a welcome investment, because the gondola is pretty old and was never built for snowboards and bigger skis.
My other rant: resorts, get your information up earlier in the morning! Maybe they're still thinking in the old style where people from the big cities are going to be coming to their favorite resort regardless of the conditions, so the websites are only there for confirmation (such as, are the lifts all running, etc.). The local tourist office does have an aggregator page where all the information is gathered, but it's not getting information any faster than I do by going through all the websites every morning (we don't give you half-baked information, readers, we're out there digging up the freshest news). But Seki Onsen isn't on there, and Seki's website is never updated (how long have they been posting 280cm of snow and 00°?). Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick gets a nod, too, for not updating regularly. At the other end is Lotte Arai, which is the most automated of all the websites, so new information is always available. My only grump with them is that the temperature data is from the base area, which is the lowest of the local resorts, while the snow depth info is from the deepest areas up high. I really felt this at the end of February when I was there at the base for a training session; there were bare spots and a base of about 50cm, while the resort posted a depth of three meters. But they do get snow there, and they will continue to operate through this month, so I'm not that bothered by the extremes. Just know before you go.
I'll check back in if we do get a sudden snowfall, or if something interesting comes up.
As a last note, though, there was some pretty good skiing this year, and I'm happy to say I was out a lot on both skis and snowshoes, gliding and sliding and checking out the beautiful natural world out there. And thanks to everybody who joined us here, too!
Myoko Now 2023-2024 season |
Data as of Monday 6th May 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 1048cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 62 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 70cm (8th January) November 2023 snowfall 42cm reported on 1 day December 2023 snowfall 135cm reported on 9 days January 2024 snowfall 404cm reported on 19 days February 2024 snowfall 218 cm reported on 17 days March 2024 snowfall 249cm reported on 16 days April 2024 snowfall 0cm May 2024 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.