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... if the narrow open Chuo area can actually make it until then. It's borderline! I can't say that what is left looks particularly appealing and rain falling is not helping. But if you really must get in that last slide of the season...

It has been a very odd season. And not just here in Zao and Yamagata but it seems in most snow regions of the main island of Honshu. Almost every region of Japan has experienced less snow - and in some cases much less snow - than usual. We expect so much snow and consistent snowfall here that worrying about snow is something that people just simply aren't used to. And of course everyone is hoping that they will not need to be thinking about again next season.

If you want to get a picture of the season as a whole please do read through all of the Zao Now archives below.

I highly recommend that you also read through the archives from previous seasons as well - mainly because this last season has definitely not been 'normal' or 'average' (however you define those terms).

So, here is to a good summer season and then a much more snowy 2016-2017 winter season. It is, after all, what we expect!

I'm confident that's what we will get.

See in back here in late autumn when the Zao Now reports will start up again.

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6 day Zao Onsen snow and weather forecast

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The Zao Ropeway, Sky Cable gondola and Chuo Ropeway are all open throughout the year (apart from specific maintenance periods)