It's currently -3 and snowing outside, but the big story today is the wind whipping around out there. Wind speeds are currently clocking in anywhere from 5-7 m/s, with even stronger gusts at times. Unfortunately the resort has been forced to close the Kitanomine Gondola and Furano Downhill Romance Lift #3 for the time being, but safety is the number one concern here.

On the plus side the snow is coming down in droves. However, with all that wind, the white stuff is being blown around and piling up on the sides of courses and lesser-traversed runs. The system moving across Hokkaido is coming from the south, bringing with it unseasonably warm temperatures. The forecast for the evening calls for this snow to turn into a wintry mix briefly before changing back to all snow, but we shall see what the weather has in store. Regardless, this should not affect the upper mountain, which should come away with plenty of fresh from this storm.