It has been a beautiful autumn - it always is! - and in recent weeks and days it has been getting decidedly colder.

This is my last Zao Now report of the 2015/2016 season. It has been decided that the last day of the snow season here in Zao will be Saturday 30th April.

Yesterday morning there was 3cm of fresh snowfall on the ground. (Note that the 3cm recorded in this report is that snowfall).

Good morning from Zao and there's a few cm of snow to report this morning which is very good to see.

It's a cloudy morning in Zao, though there have been some signs of the sun getting through some of the clouds in places.

Just a dusting of snow enough for me to award 1cm at base!

It's cloud and blue sky at the moment over the village and mountain with just a little bit of fresh snow to report, hopefully maybe a few cm higher up.

Good morning from Zao and snow is falling, with limited visibility up on the mountain this morning. At the start of the day anyway.

More fresh snow this morning here in Zao.

Good morning from Zao where there's a good new thick carpet of snow on the ground.

A fine day it's going to be here today with the sun out warming us up after a cold start.

I have some new snow to report this morning, just 4-5cm here at base.

Good morning from a cold and snowy Zao Onsen.

It's colder this morning and there's 6cm of fresh snowfall on the ground here at base.