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Nozawa Now: Sunday 20th December 2020

  • Dec 20, 2020
  • 2 min read

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano


New snowfall at base 54cm
Snowfall at base this season 200cm

Posted on Sunday 20th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here.


Hello from Nozawa.


The heavy snow has continued.


Since yesterday the resort has reported 90cm of snowfall on the top areas, with 40-60cm down at base (about half of that was during the day yesterday and half overnight).


This morning it's whiteout conditions still at higher elevations, somewhat better lower down the mountain.


The Nagasaka Gondola is still resting so you need to get the Hikage Gondola and then the Uenotaira quad to get up to the top area of the resort.


A large part of the ski area is now open. It's mostly the Skyline section and courses coming off that, as well as Karasawa that are closed.


A break in the snow is due sometime tomorrow and perhaps for a few days we might get to enjoy some sunny skies.


Fresh snowfall recorded by the resort (since yesterday morning):

- Yamabiko (1407m): 90cm

- Uenotaira (1230m): 90cm

- Hikage (660m): 60cm

- Nagasaka (615m): 60cm

- Karasawa (563m): 40cm


Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area):


- Yamabiko (1407m): 215cm

- Uenotaira (1230m): 215cm

- Hikage (660m): 185cm

- Nagasaka (615m): 180cm

- Karasawa (563m): 175cm


Planned operating lifts:


- Hikage Gondola

- Yamabiko Four lift

- Yamabiko Number 2 Four lift

- Uenotaira Four

- Paradise Four

- Hikage Four lift

- Hikage Triple lift

- Nagasaka Triple lift

- Nagasaka Four lift

- Nagasaka Gondola connecting pair

- Yu Road


Most courses now open: the following are NOT open:


- Kogenashi AB

- Yunomine A

- Skyline

- Grand Prix

- Jumping

- Karasawa

- Hachiman

- Kamoshika

- Tanuki

- Usagi

- Rinkan shortcut

- Kandahar

- Snow Park

- Half Pipe



Nozawa Now 2020-2021 season

Data as of Sunday 20th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 200cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 56cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 200cm reported on 7 days




All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. 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.


SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for.



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