Zao Now: Wednesday 14th January 2026
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata
New snowfall at base 14cm
Snowfall at base this season 224cm
Posted on Wednesday 14th January 2026 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here.
Yesterday we had more strong winds and moderate snow until nightfall.
Overnight was strong to extreme wind (again) with some moderate snowfall.
The skyline is draped with fog, but appears to slowly clearing.
Lifts appear to be opening as scheduled.
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Zao Onsen
Ski lifts:
All scheduled to be operating apart from Yokokura Number 2
Ski runs:
All of the main areas are open with just a few restrictions
Official snow depth (reported by ski area):
Yokokura area: 70cm
Uwanodai area: 70cm
Utopia area: 140cm
Chuo area: 80cm
Paradise area: 80cm
Summit area: 100cm
More information about the ski area: Zao Onsen
Zao Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Wednesday 14th January 2026 Total snowfall at base 224cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th January) November 2025 snowfall 5cm observed on 2 days December 2025 snowfall 120cm observed on 18 days January 2026 snowfall 99cm observed on 12 days |
All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Zao 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.