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Zao Now: Wednesday 5th May 2021

  • May 5, 2021
  • 2 min read

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata


New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 389cm

Posted on Wednesday 5th May 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here.


Good morning from Zao.


We (along with everywhere else) had a good start to the season following last year's late start.


Unfortunately, (or maybe it's just me), the good stuff seemed to end far too quickly - end of February - although it was still possible to ride into May (today, with just part of Chuo open).


It was good to see so many locals this year but it is not clear if this was the result of the pandemic and working from home, reduced business hours/being open to the public.


See you (hopefully) in November.



Zao Now 2020-2021 season

Data as of Wednesday 5th May 2021 Total snowfall at base 389cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 30th January) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 142cm observed on 15 days January 2021 snowfall 146cm observed on 20 days February 2021 snowfall 90cm observed on 14 days March 2021 snowfall 11cm observed on 2 days April 2021 snowfall 0cm




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.


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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