Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 14cm Snowfall at base this season 105cm Posted on Sunday 20th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . A break in the clouds is ahead of us with the snow due to ease off today and sunshine due tomorrow. ----- Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Alpen quad - Happo Riesen quad - Nakiyama 3 - ADAM Gondola - Panorama - Kokusai 1 - Kokusai 3 - Kurobishi quad - Skyline 2 - Sakka Kitaone quad All courses now open apart from: - Riesen Grat - Tenbo - Urakuro - Omusubi - Kitaone New - Nakiyama Wall - Nakiyama North - Sakka South Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 190cm - Usagidaira: 164cm - Nakiyama: 62cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Line D (operates when Gondola is not open) Available runs: - All main courses open - Tree Riding Zones not open yet Official snow depth: - Top: 145cm - Base: 105cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - Goryu Telecabin (Gondola) - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 3 pair - Toomi Sky Four quad - Milky Four - Number 6 pair Available runs: - Panorama - Grand Prix - Technical - Super - Champion Dynamic - Champion Expert - Woody - Toomi - Soft Cream - Powder Snow Official snow depth: - Alps: ?cm - Toomi: ?cm - Iimori: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Gondola - Hannoki high speed pair - Tsuga Number 2 pair - Shirakaba quad Available runs: - Tsuganomori - Hannoki - Shirakaba Official snow depth: - Top: 170cm - Base: 70cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 quad - Number 4 pair Official snow depth: - Top: 225cm - Base: 140cm Hakuba Iwatake Operating lifts: - Gondola - 4 East - 5 South Available runs: - East - South - Sunny Valley course Official snow depth: - Top: 130cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 20th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 105cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 105cm reported on 7 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 11cm Snowfall at base this season 274cm Posted on Sunday 20th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Yikes, it's jolly cold this morning. Like, really, really (really) cold. When I got up the thermometer outside was saying nearly -18C (it has moved a bit since then). Niseko Annupuri this morning are reporting a temperature of -21C on their peak. There's 10+cm of lovely fresh snow on the ground. Some cloud around, but a lot of blue sky. It is a beautiful morning and conditions should be very good. This cold should ease off a bit with some much milder conditions due early week. ----- Someone wrote in regarding my comment yesterday about Niseko being quiet and people enjoying that fact, and seemingly making light of it. I really did not mean for that comment to be insensitive in any way, but if it came across that way… please accept my apologies. I realise that many of you reading this report were wanting to visit Niseko this season and are unfortunately unable to be here. And of course, I totally feel for you and can only imagine the disappointment. The point I was trying to make was that Niseko is uncharacteristically quiet for the time of year – for obvious reasons – and because of that, people who are able to actually be here and enjoy the good snow and quieter slopes are getting to enjoy something of a rare experience. Some of those people are locals whose businesses have been adversely affected this year, so it is a good thing that they can get a few hours of happiness in while they can. Perhaps I should have chosen more careful words yesterday. The current situation we all find ourselves in with the coronavirus is without doubt an all-round disappointing, frustrating, and annoying one. SnowJapan posted a general message on this subject about a week ago and it was posted on all the daily Now reports on the site as well as the Blog. We all thought that the best thing to do this season was to try and go ahead with reports as normally as is possible. We are certainly not intentionally trying to avoid the subject of coronavirus but feel that many of you very probably do not want to be reading about it every day in our snow reports. The general idea is to mention the subject when relevant from time to time, but not make the reports all about it. I try to keep my reports friendly as well as being informative, and at times also try for a bit of humo(u)r. (That bit might not always work!) In my everyday life I am generally trying to keep myself in a positive state of mind and not get too caught up in the worries of 2020. Just the process of writing these reports to share with the world cheers me up. I think we all need some of that. I hope that perhaps the reports can be a bit of brightness for other people as well, amongst the gloom. I would like to think that even if you are not able to be here with us this year, you might be following the snow season in Niseko from afar and looking forward to getting here next season. I will try to keep a good balance with what I write each day, but ask for understanding that I can't feel like I'm treading on eggshells as I write every report. I hope that seems reasonable to everyone. For those of you who are here this season... Let’s make sure we all do the right thing and protect ourselves as well as everyone around us… following advice, keeping distance, face masks, etc. The sooner we get through all this, the sooner we should all be able to get back to ‘normal’. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Benkei cape: NW11m/s, Kamui cape: W5m/s, 1015hPa, 1.3m waves. Kutchan Weather station: -18.6℃, snowpack 88cm, 1017hPa. Hanazono 1000m: -16.2℃, NW8m/s, Hanazono 720m: -12.5℃, WNW5.1m/s, Annupuri1000m: -15℃, 15cm snowfall, good visibility. Goshiki onsen: -16℃, 36cm snowfall, 160cm snowpack, good visibility. Moiwa base: -15℃, 15cm snowfall, 90cm snowpack. The isobars spaced out and the ocean and mountain conditions are calming down. Looking at the weather transition, observations and data, the snowpack above 800m elevation is now stable and the overall avalanche risk is low. Newly formed cornices are still prone to collapse with small stimulation and could trigger 30cm or shallower surface slab slides. Falling cornices and avalanches can happen suddenly. The snow in the tree under 600m elevation is deep and difficult to stand back up after falling, potentially causing suffocation. Bushes are still thick in lower elevations. Better not go down too far into the gullies. Do not cross boundary ropes to seek fresh snow and keep out of strictly off limits areas. One track under the rope can make many others follow it and eventually end up in an accident. Please respect the Niseko Rules. Good snow and weather conditions today, but always keep an eye to sudden weather changes. Have a nice day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Sunday 20th December 2020 The below information is manually checked each morning and believed to be correct at time of report. Niseko Grand Hirafu Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 200cm (not updated today yet) - Base: 120cm (not updated today yet) Ski lifts operating: - Ace Family quad - Ace Number 2 Center quad - Hirafu Gondola - Holiday Number 1 pair - King Number 3 quad - Swinging Monkey Courses available: - Family - Sennoki - Alpen - Super (upper area) - Green - Furiko - Kokutai - Detour for Beginners - Center - Shirakaba - Rinkan (lower part) - Jumbo ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 160cm (+0cm) - Base: 110cm (+5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad ----- Niseko Annupuri Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 130cm (+0cm) - Base: 100cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 2 pair Courses available: - Utopia Course - Shirakaba Course - Family Course - Paradise Course - Dynamic Course - Junior Course ----- Niseko Village Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 130cm (+10cm) - Base: 85cm (+5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair - Banzai Chair ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas from Saturday 19th December 2020 until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 20th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 274cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (10th November and 15th December) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 212cm reported on 15 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 21cm Snowfall at base this season 146cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . More snow to report this morning, though less in quantity. The resort yesterday was reporting 10cm of snow during the day on top areas, with an additional 10cm overnight... so 20cm cover up top. Conditions should be really excellent there this morning. It's so exciting to remember that it is still the middle of December. :) This morning the snow is easing off and there are some breaks in the cloud and visibility is much improved. Might we even get some sun? That's not going to last though, as more snow is due from tonight and over the weekend. Perhaps heavy snowfall too. The Nagasaka Gondola is still not up and running today but the top area of the resort is once again available... via the Hikage Gondola. So you get that Gondola up to Uenotaira area and from there can get to the top Yamabiko lifts and runs. Taking the Gondola back down is also necessary. The power supply issues at Uenotaira have been fixed. Down below at base, you can also get from Nagasaka to Hikage via the Nasuki-go service. (Ah, Nasuki. Not mentioned that word yet this season - everyone's favourite bright green coloured skiing vegetable hasn't made much of an appearance yet. Probably waiting until the weekend when things are a bit calmer. But looking forward to seeing Nasuki). Anyway, if you plan on being here over the weekend double check on transport situation. You might have noticed that there are some serious issues going on over in the Yuzawa area in Niigata now with the Kanetsu Expressway basically snowed in. The Yuzawa Now report has more on that. Mind boggling amounts of serious snowfall over there in the last few days. Fresh snowfall recorded by the resort (since yesterday morning): - Yamabiko (1407m): 20cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 20cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko (1407m): 170cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 165cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Planned operating lifts: - Hikage Gondola - Yamabiko Four lift - Yamabiko Number 2 Four lift - Uenotaira - Nagasaka Triple lift - Yu Road Courses currently open: - Yamabiko (A-E) - Uenotaira Nozawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 146cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 56cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 146cm reported on 6 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 24cm Snowfall at base this season 195cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . We were hit with a snow blast yesterday afternoon that lasted through until this morning and this has deposited 24cm of new snow at base level. The snow has stopped for now but more is expected tomorrow. Temperatures are pretty low with -11c at the moment and dipping down to -17c this evening. Furano Zone is in full action now with all lifts operating except the Snow Escalator. Unfortunately, even with all this snow, the resort has decided to stick with an opening date of 24 December for the Kitanomine Zone. Furano Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 195cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 27cm (8th December) November 2020 snowfall 48cm reported on 7 days December 2020 snowfall 147cm reported on 13 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 54cm Snowfall at base this season 252cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . After a little break in the snowfall yesterday — nice for settling the snow, and clearing clinging snow off power lines, equipment and such — the snow is back again to welcome the opening of most area resorts with some genuine powder. An additional 54cm, to be exact.... It's still coming down hard, so it's going to be soft and nice out there on the hill. Which means I should be out there! But the first day of gathering lift info takes a bit of time and extra formatting. Easier from tomorrow, and all in ensuring you get the best, freshest, most precise information possible on Myoko. Akakura Kanko: 180cm, -6° Lifts: Myoko Sky Cable Gondola, Hotel No. 3, Champion No. 3 Akakura Onsen: 155cm, -2°C Lifts: Yodel No. 1, 4; Kumado No. 1 Quad, No. 4 Triple; Ginrei No. 3, 5 Ikenotaira Onsen: Opening December 19 Lifts: Shirakaba Capsule, Ikenotaira Quad, Alpen Blick No. 1 Pair Myoko Suginohara: Opening December 26 Seki Onsen: 220cm, -5° Kyukamura RunRun: 180cm, -2° Tangram Ski Circus: 100cm, 0° Lifts: No. 1 Pair, No. 3 Quad, No. 5 Quad Madarao Kogen: 150cm, -5° Lifts: No. 1, No. 2 Quad Lotte Arai Resort 288cm, -1° Lifts: Arai Gondola, Zendana Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Opening December 26 Myoko Ski Park: Closed this season Myoko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 252cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 72cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2020 snowfall 251cm reported on 7 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 38cm Snowfall at base this season 349cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Apologies for the missed report. Adding snowfall for the day. Geto Kogen Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 349cm Number of days snowfall observed 12 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 96cm (on 16th December) November 2020 snowfall 73cm observed on 3 days December 2020 snowfall 276cm observed on 9 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Geto Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 28cm Snowfall at base this season 91cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Hakuba. It is a great morning too. Ski areas around the valley this morning reporting up to 50cm of fresh snow on the upper areas, and I can report closing in on 30cm from base. Much of Happo-one is now open, pretty much all of Happo-one is open, more of Goryu opens this morning... Cortina is also open today and they already have a snow depth of 225cm on their upper areas, and reporting 40-50cm this morning). In fact from today I am happy to report that all of the ski areas in the region are now at least part open. That is excellent news. I have done what I can to check and update all of the info below. It's just so good to see all this snow falling. Apart from the obvious, I'm looking forward to just being able to say 'all open' for each ski area and not have to be checking so much information each morning. I couldn't do that once last year and apart from being time consuming for me personally (and disappointing and annoying), it just felt like an ongoing struggle. More snow and everywhere able to open, that's what we all want. People coming to enjoy themselves. Social distancing, wearing a mask and respecting all of those things. But just being able to take some time out from all that lot and having some responsible and honest fun. Let it be! ----- Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Alpen quad - Happo Riesen quad - Nakiyama 3 - ADAM Gondola - Panorama - Kokusai 1 - Kokusai 3 - Kurobishi quad - Skyline 2 - Sakka Kitaone quad All courses now open apart from: - Riesen Grat - Tenbo - Urakuro - Omusubi - Kitaone New - Nakiyama Wall - Nakiyama North - Sakka South Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 190cm - Usagidaira: 164cm - Nakiyama: 62cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Line D (operates when Gondola is not open) Available runs: - All main courses open - Tree Riding Zones not open yet Official snow depth: - Top: 145cm - Base: 105cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - Goryu Telecabin (Gondola) - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 3 pair - Toomi Sky Four quad - Milky Four - Number 6 pair Available runs: - Panorama - Grand Prix - Technical - Super - Champion Dynamic - Champion Expert - Woody - Toomi - Soft Cream - Powder Snow Official snow depth: - Alps: ?cm - Toomi: ?cm - Iimori: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Gondola - Hannoki high speed pair - Tsuga Number 2 pair - Shirakaba quad Available runs: - Tsuganomori - Hannoki - Shirakaba Official snow depth: - Top: 170cm - Base: 70cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 quad - Number 4 pair Official snow depth: - Top: 225cm - Base: 140cm Hakuba Iwatake Operating lifts: - Gondola - 4 East - 5 South Available runs: - East - South - Sunny Valley course Official snow depth: - Top: 130cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 91cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 91cm reported on 6 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 29cm Snowfall at base this season 263cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here A very good Saturday morning to you from here in Niseko. I am reporting around 30cm this morning. It was snowing until just earlier but right now there is a break in the clouds and even a little blue sky to be seen in some places. Again, this will likely be temporary as we are expecting snowfall through into tomorrow with a good chance of clearer skies early in the week; snow is due back soon after that. It is a very cold morning. The Hirafu Gondola starts up today, along with the Swinging Monkey and Holiday lift at Hirafu, as does night skiing. As far as I can tell, the Hirafu, Annupuri and Village areas should all be opening until 8:00am today. It's always great to see night operations start up. Feels like the season has got going properly when that happens. As you might expect, it is much quieter than what we are used to in Niseko. I have heard more than a few people say that they are very much enjoying that aspect of the season. The cheeky scoundrels! ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Sea of Japan Benkei cape: NNW19m/s, Kamui cape: W14m/s, 1011hPa, 4.1m waves. Hanazono 1000m: -16.5℃, E2.1m/s, Hanazono 750m: -13.3℃, NNW7.7m/s, (25m/s at 2am), Annupuri 1000m: -14℃, W15m/s, wind-affected snowdrifts 1.5m, 40cm new snowfall. Moiwa base: -11℃, 30cm snowfall. Moiwa 600m: -13℃, W15m/s, snow-affected snowdrifts 100cm, snowpack 120cm. Kutchan weather station: -9.3℃, WNW4.6m/s, snowpack 85cm. Cold air mass is flowing in. The storm picked up late night and snowdrifts developed rapidly above 850m elevation. The wind is calming down, however gusts and intermittent snowfall are continuing above 600m elevation. According to the snowfall transition, weather data and reports from patrollers and operators, the snowdrifts above 800m elevation are very unstable and the overall avalanche risk is high today. Better stay inbounds today even if the top chairs starts running. Large scale surface slab avalanches are highly likely to occur in Annupuri Osawa (first bowl) Mizuno no Sawa, Kozan no Sawa (Backbowl) and Haru no Taki. Do not stimulate steep slopes where cornices are developing. Do not remain in the bottom of the gullies. Cornice falls and avalanches occur instantaneously. The out of bounds area is kept closed for the moment. Preparations are delayed due to continuous dumps. Please refrain from ducking ropes. The avalanche risk will remain high for a while after the wind calms down and weather recovers. Similar hazardous conditions in Goshiki and the surrounding areas. Suddenly developed snowdrifts are forming thick slabs and their consolidation is being delayed. Better refrain from dropping into a slope even if the weather clears up. Wear a helmet and beacon. Snowpack studies will be done in Mikaeri area today. Have a great weekend. ----- Planned ski area operations: Saturday 19th December 2020 The below information is manually checked each morning and believed to be correct at time of report. Niseko Grand Hirafu Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 200cm (+10cm) - Base: 120cm (+5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Ace Family quad - Ace Number 2 Center quad - Hirafu Gondola - Holiday Number 1 pair - King Number 3 quad - Swinging Monkey Courses available: - Family - Sennoki - Alpen - Super (upper area) - Green - Furiko - Kokutai - Detour for Beginners - Center - Shirakaba - Rinkan (lower part) - Jumbo ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 160cm (+10cm) - Base: 105cm (+9cm) Ski lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad ----- Niseko Annupuri Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 130cm (+10cm) - Base: 100cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 2 pair Courses available: - Utopia Course - Shirakaba Course - Family Course - Paradise Course - Dynamic Course - Junior Course ----- Niseko Village Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 120cm (+5cm) - Base: 80cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair - Banzai Chair ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas from Saturday 19th December 2020 until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 263cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (10th November and 15th December) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 201cm reported on 14 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 171cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is -9c in Furano town and snowing moderately at the moment. There is 4cm of new snow at base. The snow will likely stop this morning and resume later in the afternoon. The high temperature of the day will be a chilly -5c. Visibility is varied with cloud rolling halfway down the resort. Furano Zone is open and it is expected Kitanomine will open on 24 Dec. Furano Zone open Kitanomine Zone closed Furano Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 171cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 27cm (8th December) November 2020 snowfall 48cm reported on 7 days December 2020 snowfall 123cm reported on 12 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 198cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . A break in the snow! Not to worry, though, because more is coming. Like tomorrow. Nice, because all the fresh needs a little time to settle (as I found yesterday, as I tried to get to a house to clear their driveway. To the waist. Hard going). Most all the resorts will be open tomorrow, and things look good, even though we don't have snow data yet from them. The figures from the two open resorts look really good, though... Akakura Kanko: Opening December 19 Akakura Onsen: 110cm, -2°C Ikenotaira Onsen: Opening December 19 Myoko Suginohara: Opening December 26 Seki Onsen: Opening December 19 Kyukamura RunRun: Opening December 19 Tangram Ski Circus: Opening December 19 Madarao Kogen: Opening December 19 Lotte Arai Resort 243cm, -0.1° Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Opening December 26 Myoko Ski Park: Closed this season Myoko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 198cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 72cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2020 snowfall 197cm reported on 6 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 11cm Snowfall at base this season 125cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . More snow to report this morning, though less in quantity. The resort yesterday was reporting 10cm of snow during the day on top areas, with an additional 10cm overnight... so 20cm cover up top. Conditions should be really excellent there this morning. It's so exciting to remember that it is still the middle of December. :) This morning the snow is easing off and there are some breaks in the cloud and visibility is much improved. Might we even get some sun? That's not going to last though, as more snow is due from tonight and over the weekend. Perhaps heavy snowfall too. The Nagasaka Gondola is still not up and running today but the top area of the resort is once again available... via the Hikage Gondola. So you get that Gondola up to Uenotaira area and from there can get to the top Yamabiko lifts and runs. Taking the Gondola back down is also necessary. The power supply issues at Uenotaira have been fixed. Down below at base, you can also get from Nagasaka to Hikage via the Nasuki-go service. (Ah, Nasuki. Not mentioned that word yet this season - everyone's favourite bright green coloured skiing vegetable hasn't made much of an appearance yet. Probably waiting until the weekend when things are a bit calmer. But looking forward to seeing Nasuki). Anyway, if you plan on being here over the weekend double check on transport situation. You might have noticed that there are some serious issues going on over in the Yuzawa area in Niigata now with the Kanetsu Expressway basically snowed in. The Yuzawa Now report has more on that. Mind boggling amounts of serious snowfall over there in the last few days. Fresh snowfall recorded by the resort (since yesterday morning): - Yamabiko (1407m): 20cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 20cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko (1407m): 170cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 165cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Planned operating lifts: - Hikage Gondola - Yamabiko Four lift - Yamabiko Number 2 Four lift - Uenotaira - Nagasaka Triple lift - Yu Road Courses currently open: - Yamabiko (A-E) - Uenotaira Nozawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 125cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 56cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 125cm reported on 5 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 28cm Snowfall at base this season 311cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Morning from Geto Kogen. More snow this morning as it continues to pile up as Geto plans to get-o into full gear from tomorrow with 'regular' operations planned. (See what I did there?) Night skiing is due to begin from tomorrow too. A later than planned start to the season, for sure, but we're in very good shape. Official snow depth at top... 300cm! There seem to be delays in the update of some info as everyone deals with all the snow. Official non compacted snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Top: 300cm Base: 250cm Planned operating lifts: Number 1 Gondola Number 1 pair lift Number 2 pair lift Planned open courses (subject to change): A1-A5 Possibly more Geto Kogen Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 311cm Number of days snowfall observed 11 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 96cm (on 16th December) November 2020 snowfall 73cm observed on 3 days December 2020 snowfall 238cm observed on 8 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Geto Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com