The snow clouds remain over Hakuba this morning.

Merry Christmas to all Hakuba Now and SnowJapan readers.

First of all, happy birthday to the Emperor of Japan - to celebrate we all get a holiday today!

Fresh snow to report this morning from Hakuba.

Don't like using the word wet, but we have just a thin bit of wet snow on the ground this morning in places - though it's better than just rain I suppose.

It's a lovely morning in Hakuba. 15-20cm or so on the ground here since yesterday.

After the frankly mad conditions yesterday with heavy snowfall and strong winds playing havoc, it's some more of the same this morning.

Very large amounts of snow falling in Hakuba at the moment.

It has started snowing (lightly) now but this is very probably the start of a lot that is due to fall over the next few days.

Snowing during the day yesterday, though a level down from the heavy snow of the previous day.

There's a slight bit of sun out at the moment over parts of the valley as I start writing this report, but that's definitely not the story of the last 24 hours.

Lots to report this morning.

The rain didn't do us any favors yesterday in terms of melt and snow conditions... but quickly and happily moving on, snow is about to make another hopefully dramatic entrance.

A cloudy day forecast today with snow at times, one of those times being now and it will be staying cold not straying too far above the zero mark.