Hello from Yuzawa.

The remaining clouds cleared leaving us with beautiful blue skies over the region yesterday morning. It got quite mild as well, I believe it rose to around 4C in the afternoon.

Things got a bit more overcast once again later on and it has been snowing overnight - and light snow currently snowing now too - though there's not fresh to report from down in town. Kagura is reporting 5cm and so it would seem that at higher elevations there's a layer of fresh.

The forecast doesn't have this lasting long though and it will probably ease off this morning.

The same forecast still looks good for potentially heavy snow late tomorrow and into Saturday and while there may be a break in the snow Sunday the snow clouds should be back once again as we enter the new week. So regular topups are due.

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Official snow depth information as of Thursday 19th January 2017

Some resorts have not yet updated their numbers as this report was posted and so unchanged.

GALA Yuzawa
Note: South Area currently closed due to avalanche danger. The Central and North areas are open.
Official snow depth: 290cm

Ishiuchi Maruyama
Official snow depth: 230cm

Iwappara
Official snow depth: 175cm

Joetsu Kokusai
Official snow depth: 250cm

Kagura
Official snow depth:
Kagura - 310cm
Mitsumata - 280cm
Tashiro - 260cm

Kandatsu Kogen
Official snow depth: 230cm

Maiko Snow Resort
Official snow depth:
Upper - 250cm
Base - 150cm

Muikamachi Hakkaisan
Official snow depth: 270cm

Naeba
Official snow depth: 200cm

NASPA Ski Garden
Official snow depth: 235cm

Yuzawa Kogen
Official snow depth:
Top - 250cm
Base - 180cm

Yuzawa Park
Official snow depth: 170cm

Yuzawa Nakazato
Official snow depth: 165cm

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'Nighta' (floodlit night operations)

Below are details of the planned 'nighta' operations at ski and snowboards resorts around Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma this season.
This information is subject to change due to snow and weather conditions.
*** Please note that this section will not be updated every day.

Ishiuchi Maruyama
Daily until 19th March 2017.
Nighta is from 5pm until 8:50pm.
The Chuo Number 1, Chuo Number 2 and Kanko Number 3 Express lifts are open daily.
The Kanko Number 1 Express lift, Hatsukaishi Entrance lift and Hatsukaishi Number 2 pair lifts are also open on weekends and holidays.

Iwappara
Daily until 20th March 2017.
Nighta is from 5pm until 9pm on Saturdays and until 8pm on weekdays and Sundays.
The Main course, Grand course and West courses are open during nighta.

Joetsu Kokusai
Daily until 20th March 2017.
Nighta is from 5pm until 9pm.
The area in front of the main base hotel is open for nighta.

Kandatsu Kogen
'Hobo All Night' ('Almost All Night') is on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before holidays between 29th December 2016 and 1st April 2017.
The nighta opening times on those days is from 6pm until 4am the following morning.

Maiko Snow Resort
Daily until 19th March 2017.
Nighta is from 4pm until 8pm.
The Maiko center quad lift on the Maiko Side of the resort operates for nighta.

Naeba
Daily until 26th March 2017.
Nighta is from 4pm until 8:30pm.

NASPA Ski Garden
'Thanks' (extended) opening on Saturdays in January and February and also from 30th December until 8th January 2017.
On those days the Number 1 lift is open until 6pm.

Yuzawa Nakazato
Every Saturday from 7th January until 11th March 2017, 8th January 2017.
Nighta is from 5pm until 8:30pm.
The Number 2 pair lift operates during nighta.