The weather information function of my car's navigation system kept reminding me that a heavy snow advisory is up for the 18th - that is, today - but the heavy stuff hasn't hit yet.

Well, some snow fell through the day yesterday, but we still don't have a whole lot at the base level at Akakan.

The season has officially begun, with two lifts running to access the upper part of Lotte Arai.

The big snow that could have happened really didn't. Or hasn't yet.

The national forecast is for heavy snow all over, and, while there's not that much on the ground yet, the overnight rain has turned to a steadily-falling-if-not-super-heavy snowfall.

We're still not near to having enough snow for snow cats to start packing things down and get ready for resort operations.

There is some genuine snow coming down in Myoko this morning.

I know that many of you get very excited in the days leading up to ski areas opening, and while it really doesn't make that much difference in thinking about those openings some get rather frustrated if you don't mark every new fall of snow.

Just a quick addition here, as it did snow again, not much, but it is whiter further up the mountain!

Snow has made it down to the base level; it's melted since then, so I almost forgot to put up a weekend/new week report as we get closer to official opening dates.

It was a foggy morning at Mt. Myoko; when the mists moved the snow is still up there, almost down to the Akakura Kanko Hotel.

Some confirmed news from Arai as they are now saying that they plan to be open until 15th May.

Here we are, on the last day (pretty much) of the spring session of the 21-22 season.

It looks like it wants to be sunny today...but what is it that I see on the mountain above the ski area level?