Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 1114cm Posted on Saturday 14th March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Welcome to the weekend and it promises to be a top Saturday... right here slap bang in the middle of March as well. There has been another 20cm of snowfall since my last report taking us to within 1cm of the snow that I observed for the whole of March 2014 last season. I was kind of tempted to put 21cm in there to bring them level but in the interests of complete honesty (always, of course!)... 20cm is what my trusted ruler told me. And this morning, while there is still cloud around there is also some blue sky. Looks like the weather is going to be friendly today too with the winds at last calming. There seems to be some late openings for some lifts (de-icing, digging out, maintenance, etc) but hopefully they'll all be going fairly quickly and we can have a fully connected mountain. It should be a truly excellent day. Looking ahead not much snow forecast for the coming week; rather, warmer conditions with it probably starting to feel much more like spring again. --- Last year the snow depth at official Niseko Grand Hirafu (reported by the resort) was 395cm on this day. As you can see below, today it's on a whopping 525cm. That's quite impressive I think and unless we really do heat up it's going to last a while. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -7C, 20cm of new snow in last 12 hrs. Moiwa 800m: light winds, -8C, 40cm new snow, Mikaeri cat track major snowdrift development easily fracturing at 80cm depth. Annupuri 1000m: snowpack 330cm. Hirafu 1000m: 40.cm new snow, light winds, -8C. Annupuri peak 1308m: -8.6C. Cape Benkei: WSW3m/s, Cape Kamui: light winds, pressure 1016hPa, wave 1.3m. The isobars are spacing out under influence of high pressure and ocean and mountains are calm. The snow drifts are stabilizing, however expect 80cm fracture on 40 deg slopes. Above 800m cornice slopes, knolls high risk of avalanche continues. Also around 1000m Osawa, Kozen no sawa, Higashi One consider fractures at deeper layers as well as in surface layers. Dont go in valley bottoms. Gates 1, 2, 3, 4 will be closed. Gate 6 undecided. Please listen to the patrols instructions. The snow is in great, be careful of cracks and holes hidden by the new snow. Make wise decisions. Do not enter strictly off limits areas Yu no sawa, Mizuno no sawa, Haru no taki. If one person ducks the rope and enters, others will follow the tracks and increase the likelihood of an accident. If you are using the ski resorts you must follow the Niseko Rules. Have a good day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 520cm Base - 210cm Niseko Village: Top - 320cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 400cm Base - 220cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Saturday 14th March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1114cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 79 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 112cm reported 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 1121cm Posted on Tuesday 24th March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning from Niseko. Apologies for the early report as the site folks need to do some kind of work and it's either early or late... but I wanted to let you know about the fresh snow. Yes, some fresh this morning. Just over 5cm outside my place so hopefully, as almost always, more higher up. Guess what, some wind too. Wind affected us yesterday and looks likely to today as well though it is too early for any specific news as I write this. Expect at least the upper lifts to be affected. Snowfall forecast for today and maybe through into tomorrow morning. After that, back to spring come Thursday. For this morning though I think I'll just have to go check out conditions! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -5C, 5cm snowfall. Moiwa peak: NE8m/s, -5C, 10cm snowfall with notable development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 340cm. Hirafu 1000m: NE10m/s with development of snowdrifts. Annupuri peak: N12m/s, -8℃. Coastal data: Benkei cape NE16m/s, Kamui cape ENE8m/s, 1003hPa, 3.5m waves. Cold air is flowing in as the low-pressure system passes. A northerly wind with snowfall is making snowdrifts develop. Surface slab avalanche of 30cm or less is likely to occur in open steep slopes and knolls. According to observations and snowfall transition, avalanche hazard (including climax slides) is high. Peak gates will be closed. New snow is still shallow and is not covering old tracks. Bumpy conditions around the course; be careful. Sunlight is weak and the snow surface is hard to ready. Beware of falls, collisions, falling into cracks and creek holes. All surrounding peaks are in a similar condition and the risk will rise in higher elevations. Carefully choose your touring route in steep slopes above 1000m. Winter is back for a short time. Have a nice day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 440cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 310cm Base - 150cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 340cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Tuesday 24th March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1121cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 81 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 119cm reported on 10 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1115cm Posted on Sunday 22nd March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hurray, it is actually snowing this morning! Can't help but smile seeing fresh snow fall outside at the moment. Don't get overly excited, there's just a thin layer on the ground and it's hardly peak season quality... but still, it's snow. And it's a good sign that things are getting colder... hold on though... sun was forecast for this morning, along with a high of around 6C later on. Still is actually, so perhaps it will stop and clear. It's all very confusing! Limited visibility on mountain this morning at the moment, but like said above that may well change quickly as things are forecast to clear. Anyways, we should get some more snow tomorrow and perhaps Tuesday as well and it should be colder and keep colder for a few days anyway. I suppose the best thing is for me to shut up for now and just report again in the morning! Have a good day. --- It's the last nighta of the season tonight. Expect fireworks around 9:30pm. Clear weather for that would be nice. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: 0C, 2cm snowfall from predawn. Moiwa data n/a. Annupuri snowpack 340cm. Hirafu 1000m: -2C, wet snow and bad visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW6m/s, Kamui cape WNW7m/s, 1010hPa, 0.7m waves. Block avalanches from cracked slopes are likely to occur in 700m and lower Mikaeri bowl and Osawa. Avalanches always happen without warning. Stay away from valleys with cracked or wrinkled slopes. Most accidents occur due to repeated carelessness and can be avoided by being cautious. All gates are expected to open. Listen to the ski patrol’s advice before stepping out of the gates. Niseko community is concerned about all guests’ safety and operates accident prevention practices. The Niseko Rules are not implemented to regulate the freedom to ride out of bounds, but to protect it. Please respect those Rules to protect everyone’s freedom to enjoy snow riding. Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Sunday 22nd March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1115cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 80 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 113cm reported 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 1141cm Posted on Wednesday 25th March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Wind messed around with us yesterday, be off with it!, and afraid it may might again today. OK bad news out of the way. You want the good news? There's lots of fresh snow. Might not be able to get up to it using the wind-affected lifts again, but it's there for sure. Once they do open though it should be some excellent late March conditions waiting to be ridden. No more snow is likely to be falling after today through into early next week at least so we want as much as possible. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -2C, 20cm of humid snowfall in the last 12 hours. Moiwa data n/a. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 345cm. Hirafu1000m -7C, heavy wind. Peak data: N23.3m/s, -7.3C. Coastal data: Benkei cape ENE11m/s, Kamui cape ENE5m/s, 1019hPa, 3.3m. Isobars are close together, generating heavy wind above 800m. Snowdrifts are developing in leeward slopes and gullies. Looking at the snowfall and various other data, the avalanche risk is high today, especially in alpine steep slopes. Peak gates will be closed. Do not duck ropes to step out of bounds. Wind and snow will clam down soon, but the hazards will remain high for a while. Most avalanche accidents are caused by snowdrift slabs sliding during or just after storms. Remember this term as a common sense and most accidents can be avoided. Climax (ground) avalanche risk from 1100m area is also rising. Stay away from valley bottoms. The snow along the course and in the trees is in good shape. Beware of hidden cracks and holes and they might have been covered and hard to notice from above. Have a nice day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 440cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 330cm Base - 160cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 340cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 25th March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1141cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 82 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 139cm reported on 11 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 1144cm Posted on Wednesday 8th April 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Hirafu and I have some snow to report. Yey! 3cm of it as well here outside my place so hopefully and very probably a bit more than that in higher areas. And it's keeping real cold too. Brrr. Under zero still at Hirafu is reporting a temperature of -5 degrees on it's upper areas. Nice! There was a bit of blue sky to see earlier on but right now as I write this it's generally mostly cloudy. Might get some blue sky and sun again though as the weather decides to do for the day. With not much of a wind at all, I can't see why the planned lifts would not be able to open this morning. So it should be good to find that new snow up there. I'm going to go and take a look... in the name of research of course. --- Planned resort operations for the rest of the season - wind and snow conditions aside may mean changes on any given day, but these are the plans! Niseko Grand Hirafu: - Holiday Pair Lift Number 1 - until Apr 8 - Ace Quad Number 2 Center four - until May 6 - King Triple Lift Number 3 - until May 6 - King Number 4 - until May 6 - Hirafu Gondola (** ONLY ON SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS and HOLIDAYS) - until May 6 - Spring Park plans to be open until May 6 Niseko Annupuri: - Annupuri Gondola - until May 6 - Jumbo Number 1 quad - until May 6 - Jumbo Number 4 pair - until May 6 Niseko Village: Niseko Village is now closed but plans to reopen for the Golden Week holidays - from April 29th until May 6th Niseko Hanazono: Niseko Hanazono is now closed for the season --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu: Top - 385cm Base - 60cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 310cm Base - 110cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 8th April 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1144cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 139cm reported on 11 days April 2015 snowfall 3cm reported on 1 day 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 1144cm Posted on Wednesday 6th May 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Wednesday 6th May 2015. The last day of the official ski season in Niseko (though no doubt some people will be hiking up places beyond tomorrow to access remaining snow). It's a fine morning with a mix of blue sky and cloud. I'll try not to dwell on the strong wind conditions that are messing with lifts on this final morning of the season. Unfortunately as I write this, only the lower Jumbo Number 1 lift at Annupuri and the Ace Number 2 Center four quad and Ace Number 3 lifts at Hirafu are moving, limiting options for everyone wanting to get in their last turns. Naughty wind. Anyway enough of that and onto my 'season summary' bit. The first day of the season – and by that I mean when the first ski lift started moving - was Friday 5th December 2014. If my calculations are correct, that means that the season here has lasted some 153 days. Now that the season is over, here’s my last look at the various data. As always, a bit of a ‘disclaimer’ before anyone gets upset... my numbers are observed by myself each day, from the same open spot here in Hirafu. As you might expect, there’ll often be more snow on the upper areas of the mountain – perhaps around 50% more. The quoted Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) numbers are the official numbers that they record from Kutchan town, a bit lower down than here at Hirafu base. All of the archived Niseko Now daily reports are always available to read on SnowJapan, so if you want to get a complete detailed picture of the season - and indeed previous seasons - then please do equip yourself with a big cup of your preferred beverage, sit down and have a good read! You can find all of the archives at the bottom of this page. The numbers in brackets below are the accumulative numbers over the season. November My observed numbers: November 2014: 30cm November 2013: 123cm JMA Kutchan numbers: November 2014: 41cm November 2013: 99cm It was something of a late start to the season this time round, with considerably more snow falling in November 2013. In fact, resorts wanted to be opening on 23rd November and people were starting to get a bit worried with the season only got started on 5th December... December My observed numbers: December 2014: 519cm (549cm) December 2013: 275m (398cm) JMA Kutchan numbers: December 2014: 387cm (428cm) December 2013: 258cm (357cm) Once it started snowing though, it decided to do so in style for the month of December. Take a look at my Hirafu numbers in particular... we got tons of snow falling in December 2014 with the total snowfall easily overtaking the previous season despite the later start. Loads of snow. An excellent December. January My observed numbers: January 2015: 257cm (806cm) January 2014: 461cm (859cm) JMA numbers: January 2015: 230cm (658cm) January 2014: 317cm (674cm) The interesting thing about the months of December and January over the last two seasons is how they kind of swapped positions. The month with the most fresh snowfall in 2014-2015 season was easily December, with January not delivering us as much fresh. It was completely the other way round in the 2013-2014 season with January being the month experiencing the most fresh snowfall. I don't have numbers in front of me but I would expect last season to be the more 'normal' pattern. The pattern over the last two seasons can very clearly be seen if you compare the graphs on SnowJapan’s observed snowfall comparison page (below). It wasn’t just Niseko but most regions of Japan seemed to get more snow in December than January. I can imagine it makes it all the more difficult to choose when to visit... February My observed numbers: February 2015: 196cm (1002cm) February 2014: 178cm (1037cm) JMA Kutchan numbers: February 2015: 167cm (825cm) February 2014: 130cm (804cm) March My observed numbers: March 2015: 139cm (1141cm) March 2014: 113cm (1150cm) JMA Kutchan numbers: March 2015: 141cm (966cm) March 2014: 118cm (922cm) April My observed numbers: April 2015: 3cm (1144cm) April 2014: 13cm (1163cm) JMA Kutchan numbers: April 2015: 3cm (969cm) April 2014: 24m (946cm) The remaining three months of the season saw largely comparable numbers, and of course both seasons ended up with a similar total, with around 11.5m of snow being observed falling here in Hirafu. Not bad hey? Remember all of this data is shown in that lovely little table further down this page; I encourage you to take a look at the data and Now reports on SnowJapan from other areas of Japan, not just Niseko. (It's all very interesting - and for resort base areas, there was actually one area that got over 4m more snow than Niseko!) >>> It has been another very busy season for Niseko with more people visiting from more places around the world. Lots of languages to be heard. Even including some Japanese! ;) A real party atmosphere going on in the main areas with a bustling nightlife. More people and an ever growing reputation with skiers and snowboarders around the world means that the slopes are getting more crowded though, with a huge rush to the powder on a fresh powder morning... lie-in's not recommended. There have been too many days affected by strong winds again of course. I do feel for people who visit and find lifts not moving. Still, nowhere can be perfect I suppose. And of course there have also been many fantastic days with the beautiful snow conditions that we expect. >>> So there you have it. That was the 2014-2015 season. I enjoyed it and I hope that you did too if you managed to get here. Thank you very much for reading the Niseko Now reports on SnowJapan this season. I hope that you enjoyed following them and found them to be useful - it's a bit scary almost seeing just how many people actually read these reports. I try not to think about that when writing them. I will gambarimasu once more next season - please do tell your friends. I also want to say once again that I (and SnowJapan) appreciate the comments and suggestions that people send in about the reports and the site in general. If you want to get in touch please just use the Contact form on SnowJapan - if it's about these reports, it'll get to me! Anyway I am going to enjoy a bit of a rest now. Hopefully it will be a fine summer up here in Hokkaido. As you are no doubt aware, it’s a very fine place to be when there’s no snow around as well. >>> I will be back posting new Niseko Now reports here on SnowJapan in the autumn when the 2015-2016 season is approaching. No doubt the ski resorts will once again be aiming to open in the later part of November. Until then, thank you and goodbye. Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 6th May 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1144cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 139cm reported on 11 days April 2015 snowfall 3cm reported on 1 day May 2015 snowfall 0cm Previous 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 11cm Posted on Saturday 7th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Now this is a bit more like it. Everything is white again this morning, including the roads, and snow is continuing to fall. Not a huge amount, perhaps around 10cm or so, but hopefully we'll get more before it eases off. A few more resort areas are opening up lifts this morning - details of which I have posted below. It's still very limited at the moment and we do need a decent delivery of snow to open up and really get into the snow season proper here. There's quite a lot of cars coming up to the area this morning with an almost constant stream of vehicles going past my window here near the Maruike area... the slopes that are open might get quite busy today. Forecast tells us that this snowfall won't last long and there's a chance of some sun tomorrow. The forecast looks good for cold and snow mid week though. Resorts that are currently part open: Takamagahara: Reporting 30cm of snow; -5C at 8am Takamagahara Number 2 triple lift Ichinose Family: Reporting 30cm of snow; -3C at 8am Ichinose Number 2 pair lift A/B Kumanoyu (skiers only): Reporting 30cm of snow; -3C at 8am Kumanoyu Number 2 pair lift A/B Yakebitaiyama: Reporting 40cm of snow; -6C at 8am Yakebitaiyama Number 2 Yakebitaiyama Number 4 Romance Yokoteyama: Reporting 20cm of snow; -5C at 9am Yokoteyama Number 1 Sky B Yokoteyama Number 2 Sky Other resort areas remain closed as we wait for snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Saturday 7th December 2013 Total snowfall at base 11cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 10cm (7th December) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 10cm reported on 1 day 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 Shiga 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 1cm Posted on Friday 22nd November 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Today I do bring good news - the season is underway here in Shiga Kogen. One lift is open - that lift being the Number 2 pair lift at the Kumanoyu area. It did in fact open from last Saturday (16th), for the record. While there's not a whole lot of snow - and it's a mix of man-made and natural, there is a 600m or so area of runs open. They are reporting a 30cm base on the open run and there is actually complete cover of the runs of the resort - but just that stretch of the Number 3 and 4 courses open for now. Snowboarders beware.... Kumanoyu is a skiers-only area, I'm afraid. We'll be keeping an eye now open for further lift openings and report them here. There doesn't look like much chance of decent snowfall in the coming week unfortunately, with more sun likely. Still, very early still - welcome to the 13/14 season! Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Friday 22nd November 2013 Total snowfall at base 1cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 1cm (5th November) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day 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 Shiga 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 36cm Posted on Thursday 12th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Snow is falling this morning and it's all very suitably winter-like. Snow down to lower valley level this morning with those monkeys at Jigokudani getting snowed on as well. Resorts that are open here in Shiga Kogen are mostly reporting about 10cm of snow, but I reckon we have had more like 15cm so far and it is snowing very nicely at the moment as I write this report at 9:30am. Visibility poor, a light to moderate wind... and snow. That's about it for now. If the forecast of continued snowfall over the next few days happens, we can surely expect more lifts to be running for the weekend across Shiga Kogen. Takamagahara: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -7C at 8:30am Takamagahara Number 2 triple lift Ichinose Family: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -6.2C at 8am Ichinose Number 2 pair lift A/B Kumanoyu (skiers only): Reporting 40cm snow depth; -6.5C at 9:00am Kumanoyu Number 2 pair lift A/B Yakebitaiyama: Reporting 50cm snow depth; -9C at 8am Yakebitaiyama Number 2 Yakebitaiyama Number 4 Yokoteyama: Reporting 45cm snow depth; -5C at 8:30am Yokoteyama Number 1 Sky B Yokoteyama Number 2 Sky Yokoteyama Number 6 Yokoteyama Number 5 Other resort areas remain closed as we wait for snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 12th December 2013 Total snowfall at base 36cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 15cm (12th December) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 35cm reported on 3 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 Shiga 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 41cm Posted on Friday 13th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . So we got some more snow yesterday. Not huge amounts but gradually it is building up. This morning the sun is actually out. Lots of blue sky as well, though cloud hanging on and the forecasts tell us to expect snow later on today and over the weekend. A lot of snow is still needed to get Shiga Kogen fully open. The news I have this morning is that Okushiga Kogen are open for the first time this morning with their Number 2 pair lift. Hopefully there might be more news to share tomorrow morning. Takamagahara: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -4C at 8:30am Takamagahara Number 2 triple lift Ichinose Family: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -3.2C at 8am Ichinose Number 2 pair lift A/B Yakebitaiyama: Reporting 60cm snow depth; -7C at 8am Yakebitaiyama Number 2 Yakebitaiyama Number 4 Okushiga Kogen: Reporting 30cm snow depth; -7C at 9am Okushiga Kogen Number 2 pair Kumanoyu (skiers only): Reporting 50cm snow depth; -5C at 9:00am Kumanoyu Number 1 pair Kumanoyu Number 2 pair lift A/B Yokoteyama: Reporting 55cm snow depth; -5C at 8:30am Yokoteyama Number 1 Sky B Yokoteyama Number 2 Sky Other resort areas remain closed as we wait for snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Friday 13th December 2013 Total snowfall at base 41cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 15cm (12th December) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 40cm reported on 4 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 Shiga 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 46cm Posted on Saturday 14th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . The sun was out earlier on this morning but it has started to cloud over and snow looks likely later on and is due for today and tomorrow. More resort areas are part open from this morning, as outlined below. We'll try to keep an eye on openings and update that as much as possible each day in this early part of the season when the resort areas are not yet fully open. Sun Valley: Reporting 50cm of snow depth; -3C at 7:30am Number 1 quad Maruike: Reporting 50cm of snow depth; -3C at 8am Maruike Number 1 triple Hoppo Bundaira: Reporting 40cm of snow depth; -9C at 8am Takamagahara: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -8C at 8:30am Number 2 triple lift Quad Ichinose Family: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -3.2C at 8am Ichinose Number 2 pair lift A/B Ichinose Quad Ichinose Diamond: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -8.7C at 9am Quad Yakebitaiyama: Reporting 60cm snow depth; -12C at 8am Number 2 Gondola Number 2 lift Okushiga Kogen: Reporting 50cm snow depth; -7C at 9am Number 1 pair Number 2 pair Number 3 pair Gondola Kumanoyu (skiers only): Reporting 50cm snow depth; -5C at 9:00am Number 1 pair Number 2 pair lift A/B Number 4 pair Yokoteyama: Reporting 55cm snow depth; -3C at 8:30am Number 1 Sky B Number 2 Sky Number 5 Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Saturday 14th December 2013 Total snowfall at base 46cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 15cm (12th December) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 45cm 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 Shiga 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 21cm Posted on Monday 9th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . About 10cm of snow yesterday morning (which I will note in the new snow this morning for the record), but no new snowfall to report this morning. The roads still have that white icy cover though at the moment. It was very cold overnight and even this morning resort areas are reporting temps close to -10C. We're still sitting waiting for that real snowfall to get more of Shiga Kogen open up. This week we will hopefully see that happen with snowmen lined up on all of the local weather forecasts basically from tomorrow through into the weekend. Takamagahara: Reporting 30cm snow depth; -2C at 8:30am Takamagahara Number 2 triple lift Ichinose Family: Reporting 30cm snow depth; -4.3C at 8am Ichinose Number 2 pair lift A/B Kumanoyu (skiers only): Reporting 30cm snow depth; -9.5C at 8:30am Kumanoyu Number 2 pair lift A/B Yakebitaiyama: Reporting 40cm snow depth; -8C at 8:30am Yakebitaiyama Number 2 Yakebitaiyama Number 4 Yokoteyama: Reporting 20cm snow depth; -5C at 9am Yokoteyama Number 1 Sky B Yokoteyama Number 2 Sky Other resort areas remain closed as we wait for snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Monday 9th December 2013 Total snowfall at base 21cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 10cm (7th and 9th December) November 2013 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 20cm reported on 2 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 Shiga 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