It's a cold morning in Nozawa Onsen, with the resort reporting a samui! -11 degrees up on the Yamabiko runs as of 7:20am. More like -2 down near base, but as most of us will be taking the lifts higher up it's definitely a day to wrap up and be ready for cold.

There's a new layer or snow to play in as well today - 5cm at base and lower slopes and 10cm on upper slopes, bringing Yamabiko close to 2m - but there are breaks in the cloud and more blue sky to be seen and it looks like it's clearing up. The local forecast is for snow throughout the day today, so maybe it's just a break and the snow clouds will be back but it doesn't look like that just now. Snow and the chance of sun is forecast for tomorrow, with the snow bit forecast to be weaker than today.

It's still looking like New Years Day is going to bring decent snowfall and possibly strong winds.

There have been lots of people arriving in Nozawa this morning and it should be a busy day, and that will apply for each day now through into New Year. Nozawa is a small compact village and so if you are here staying just ask the people at your accommodation about ideas on where to go to celebrate. And don't forget to try out the onsen in the village, always a treat.

Anyway, enough talk. I must get onto that Gondola to check out what Nozawa has in store today! The snow should be good up there.

---

Update, just 10 minutes after I was writing the above: it has been clouding over again! Looks like changeable conditions today.

---

Saturday 28th December 2013:

Official snow depths:
Yamabiko - 195cm
Uenotaira - 165cm
Hikage - 90cm
Nagasaka - 80cm
Karasawa - 55cm

Lifts
All lifts operating

Courses
All courses open apart from:
Grand Prix
Hachiman
Kandahar East
Kandahar West