Yuzawa Now: Friday 19th May 2023
- May 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this seas 795cm
Posted on Friday 19th May 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here.
Good morning from Yuzawa.
Kagura is still open!
The main run is looking thinner and narrower by the day, but it's looking like they will be able to keep it open until the planned closing date of Sunday 21st May.
Yesterday at 3pm, the JMA recorded a temperature of 32.8C in Yuzawa town (!). Today should be considerably cooler with the chance of some rain at times. Currently 18C after a warm overnight, and it is not forecast to rise much above that.
Hopefully we will have more sun for the last weekend. (But not so hot please).
Someone asked if the ski area can make any money keeping open as they are now. Really no idea about the economics behind it all. But they have a ropeway, a gondola lift, two quads and one or two pair lifts operating just to keep that one run open!
We'll finish up our reporting for the season on Sunday morning.
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Kagura
Official snow depth:
- 50cm (top)
- 0cm (base)
Lifts operating:
- Mitsumata Ropeway (7:30am weekends; 8:00am weekdays)
- Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift
- Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair lift
- Kagura Gondola
- Kagura Number 1 quad lift
- Kagura Number 1 romance pair lift (*open when busy)
Course available:
- Kagura main run (see image below)
Notes:
The Mitsumata lifts are used to get to and back from the main Kagura area that is still open. Walking is now required both getting to and coming back from Kagura.
From Mitsumata to Kagura: A 230m walk from top of Ropeway to the Mitsumata quad and then a 170m walk to the top of Mitsumata Number 2 pair.
From Kagura to Mitsumata: A 170m walk to top of Mitsumata quad and then a 230m walk to the top of Mitsumata Ropeway.
Planned closing dates:
- Tashiro Ropeway & Tashiro Area: CLOSED
- Mitsumata Ropeway & Kagura Area: Sunday 21st May 2023
Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season |
Data as of Friday 19th May 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 795cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 51cm (5th January) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 123cm reported on 14 days January 2023 snowfall 437cm reported on 20 days February 2023 snowfall 224cm reported on 15 days March 2023 snowfall 11cm reported on 2 days April 2023 snowfall 0cm 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 Yuzawa. 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.