Zao Now: Friday 2nd January 2026
- Jan 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 11
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata
New snowfall at base 7cm
Snowfall at base this season 139cm
Posted on Friday 2nd January 2026 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here.
Morning from Zao with another modest amount of snowfall to report and snow falling at the start of the day.
It is a cold morning and more snow is expected today and tomorrow.
Most lifts and runs now largely open, though the snow is still relatively thin on the ground.
No let up please!
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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: 60cm
Paradise area: 60cm
Summit area: 60cm
More information about the ski area: Zao Onsen
Zao Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Friday 2nd January 2026 Total snowfall at base 139cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 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 14cm observed on 2 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.