Zao Now: Thursday 1st January 2026
- Jan 1, 2026
- 2 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata
New snowfall at base 7cm
Snowfall at base this season 132cm
Posted on Thursday 1st January 2026 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here.
Good morning and happy new year!
We have another layer of snow to start things off and it is snowing now (light to moderate at times). Hopefully and probably more than that at higher elevations.
We should be getting more through the day.
Lots of people around, though some maybe making a bit of a late start. Early tracks for those who got up early!
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Ski lifts:
Most lifts are now scheduled to be operating.
The following lifts are not open:
Ryuzan pair
Yokokura Number 2
Ski runs:
Most of the main areas are open
Official snow depth (reported by ski area):
Yokokura area: 30cm
Uwanodai area: 40cm
Utopia area: 70cm
Chuo area: 50cm
Paradise area: 50cm
Summit area: 60cm
More information about the ski area: Zao Onsen
Zao Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Thursday 1st January 2026 Total snowfall at base 132cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (on 4th December) November 2025 snowfall 5cm observed on 2 days December 2025 snowfall 120cm observed on 18 days January 2026 snowfall 7cm observed on 1 day |
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.