Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 150cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . It was snowing still early on this morning but has since stopped and it is just cloudy now with generally improving visibility. Early morning Yakebitaiyama was reporting 6cm of fresh snowfall. Packed snow on the roads. Expect sun and mild conditions for a few days beyond today with a return to cold from Monday. I am hearing that the Shibutoge lift will be open from today (and it shows as 'standby' on the official site). --------------------- The below information is checked at the time of report using official sources Currently open ski areas in Shiga Kogen (subject to change): Ichinose Family: Number 2 pair lift A Number 2 pair lift B Official snow depth 50cm Kumanoyu: Number 2 pair life A Number 2 pair lift B Number 3 quad Official snow depth 50cm Takamagahara Mammoth: Number 2 triple lift Official snow depth 50cm Okushiga Kogen: Number 2 high speed pair Number 3 high speed pair Official snow depth: 60cm Yakebitaiyama: Number 2 gondola Yakebitaiyama Number 2 high speed Official snow depth: 60cm Yokoteyama: Number 1 Sky B lift Number 2 Sky Number 4 pair lift Number 5 single lift Official snow depth 60cm Shiga Kogen Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base 150cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (on 12th December) November 2025 snowfall 43cm reported on 8 days December 2025 snowfall 107cm 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 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 112cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Morning from Madarao. Low visibility this morning and a modest amount of new now. I just measured just over 8cm [* earlier typo adjusted] and the ski area is reporting 5cm. Definitely better than the rain we got last night. Sun is forecast for tomorrow and Saturday (along with those much warmer temps). Take care out there. Madarao Mountain Resort: - Fresh snowfall reported by the ski area: 5cm - Official snow depth: 60cm - Number 1 lift - Number 2 quad lift - 10 courses open - Tree run courses open: Not open Tangram Ski Circus: - Special 'pre-open' status - Official snow depth: 35cm - Number 3 quad lift Madarao Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base 112cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 9 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (on 19th November) November 2025 snowfall 26cm reported on 1 day December 2025 snowfall 86cm 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 Madarao. 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 15cm Snowfall at base this season 263cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Improved situation this morning with the ski area apparently reporting 30cm of snow on the top areas of the mountain. About half of that down at base, most coming down since yesterday evening. (We had some clearer skies during the day). As if 7:15am it is snowing lightly and some gusty winds at times. Clearer skies due tomorrow and that mild weekend that we have been warned about. Not much snow expected through Christmas. Santa, snow please! --------------------------- Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): 125cm (top) 65m (base) Planned lift operations (reported by the ski area): Number 1 gondola Quad lift Number 1 pair lift Courses (reported by the ski area): Most main runs are at least part open Tree run courses are not yet open Geto Kogen Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 263cm Number of days snowfall observed 17 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 77cm (on 5th December) November 2025 snowfall 54cm observed on 5 days December 2025 snowfall 209cm observed 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 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 65cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Morning from Hakuba. Light snow this morning and some limited visibility on the mountains. That should improve as the day goes on and we might even get some sun and clearer conditions. Ski areas are reporting 20-28cm of fresh snow up there, so it sounds like early tracks will be worth seeking out. (Remember, I report those numbers - those available anyway - in the list below each morning). There has been just a little down here in the village. Both Iwatake and Sanosaka ski area plan to open from tomorrow, but I can't find any specific details to share. OK so the whole region is looking at a spell of mild conditions over the weekend. It should be getting colder again by Monday and hopefully we'll get a new portion of snow then, but as things stand it doesn't look like we can expect any major snowfall due before Christmas. -------------------------------- ABLE Hakuba Goryu New snowfall (as reported by the ski area): Top: 25cm Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Top: 105cm Top: 45cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Gondola Alps Number 1 pair lift Alps Number 3 pair lift Toomi quad Scheduled course openings: Panorama course Grand Prix course Super course Technical course Champion Dynamic Champion Expert Woody Toomi ------------ Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park New snowfall (reported as 'todays snowfall' by the ski area): Top: 20cm Base: 10cm Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Top: 130cm Base: 40cm Scheduled ski lift operations: All lifts operating Line D usually only operates when the gondola is closed Scheduled course openings: All main courses open The Tree Riding Zones are not yet open ------------ Hakuba Cortina Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Top: 120cm Base: 50cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Cortina Number 2 quad lift Cortina Number 4 pair lift Scheduled course openings: 4 of 16 available ------------ Hakuba Happo-one New snowfall (as reported by the ski area): Kurobushi (1680m): 25cm Usagidaira (1400m): 28cm Nakiyama (800m): -cm Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Kurobushi (1680m): 140cm Usagidaira (1400m): 28cm Nakiyama (800m): -cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Gondola Alpen quad lift Panorama pair lift Kokusai Number 3 pair lift Kurobishi Number 2 quad lift Scheduled course openings: Kurobishi course Usagidaira course Panorama course ------------ Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Not yet open ------------ Hakuba Norikura Onsen Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): 40cm Scheduled ski lift operations:: Alps Number 1 pair lift Alps Number 4 pair lift Scheduled course openings: Hakunori Family Wakakura Central ------------ Jigatake Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): 50cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Number 1 pair lift Number 3 pair lift ------------ Kashimayari Skijo Family Park Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): 75cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Number 2 pair lift Number 6 quad lift ------------ Tsugaike Mountain Resort Official snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Upper: 136cm Base: 40cm Scheduled ski lift operations: Gondola Tsuga Number 2 pair lift Han-no-ki pair lift Scheduled course openings: Limited but top to bottom ------------ White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka Not yet open Hakuba Now 2025-2026 season Data as Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 65cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (on 5th December) November 2025 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2025 snowfall 63cm 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 152cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . OK, one more day to more openings, and we do have a bit more snow on the ground. It’s wet, it’s heavy, it’s sticking to everything—the ribbons on the bamboo poles demarcating my driveway are plastered to the poles— but it’s good stuff to have down there at the base. Just for fun, I did a density test, which says one cubic meter of today’s snow is about 251 kilograms, which the AI assistant that pops up whether I want it or not says is about right for new, wet snow. Now think about that weight coming off a roof... be careful, kids! It’s also gotten really foggy in the past 30 minutes or so, probably as the weather begins to change; high pressure is moving in, so it’s going to be cold overnight and warm and clear tomorrow.... --- Resort opening schedule: Akakura Kanko: Opening tomorrow (?) Akakura Onsen: 35cm, -1° Yodel No. 1 Triple, Yodel No. 4 Pair Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick They did officially announce a delay in opening; not saying when, but to keep watching web and social sites Myoko Suginohara: 60cm top, 20cm base; -5° Gondola and Mitahara No. 2 lift Kyukamura RunRun: December 20 Seki Onsen: Opening December 23 Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort: 35cm, -1° One lift running Madarao Mountain Resort: 60cm, -2° Nos. 1, 2 lifts Lotte Arai Resort: 123cm, 3.6° Gondola, Kokenashi, Zendana lifts Kurohime Kogen Snow Park: December 24 (? Not entirely clear from website) Myoko Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 152cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (on 21st November) November 2025 snowfall 35cm reported on 1 day December 2025 snowfall 117cm 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 253cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Good Morning Skiers & Boarders, A whiff of snow overnight. Properly cold today. Tomorrow's forecast now says will be below freezing all day. Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday will apparently be tropical, with forecasted highs of +8 and +11 respectively. Unreal. The snow escalator on the Furano side is open beginning today. Great news for beginners. Only 7 more shopping days until Christmas. That's all folks. Think snow. --- Ropeway + Lift D 8:30 -- 15:10 Lift B (aka Furano Quad) 9:00 -- 15:10 Lift C 8:40 -- 18:00 Snow Escalator (aka Magic Carpet) 9:00 - 12:30; 1:30 - 3:30 *The A2 & B1 runs are open all the way to the base. Furano Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base 253cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (6th December) November 2025 snowfall 45cm reported on 5 days December 2025 snowfall 208cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 170cm Good morning to you all from Niseko. I have another nice layer of lovely snow to report to you on this cold morning. I measured slightly over 8cm of it. (I'll keep the extra mm in hand for a future rounding up!) At just past 8am it is snowing lightly outside my place, but moderate seems to be the more appropriate word for how it is coming down in some places. Conditions should be pretty good and I feel the need to go out and investigate. Hopefully lifts will be opening as planned. After a cold day today, temps are going to be getting much milder from tomorrow with Saturday being the peak; dropping again from Sunday. (I'm a bit too early this morning for updated data from Hirafu). ------------------------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base 6am: -7℃, 10cm new snow, no snowdrifts. Mikaeri 800m: -9℃, WNW4.7m/s, snowing and snowdrifts developments. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -13.4℃. Hanazono 800m: -10.5℃, N4.8m/s, snowdrifts development. Sea of Japan Benkei cape NW14m/s, Kamui cape WSW11m/s, 1019hPa, 2.6m waves. The wind remains strong up high and cold air is flowing in. 10-20cm snowfall and cornices and snowdrifts are slowly growing above 800m elevation. Cornices are still fragile, however the snowdrifts are stabilizing. Assessing all data, the avalanche risk is low in slopes below 1000m elevation. The snow in the trees is good, however you might end up bush crawling at the bottom if you miss the right path. Accessing the out of bounds from the resort is still closed. Please be patient. Do not cross boundary ropes. The groomer conditions are amazing. The lift lines are getting crowded, please don’t cut in lines. Westerly wind remains strong, beware of frostbites on your left cheek. Have a nice day. ------------------------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: 7cm Base: 12cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 150cm (+10cm change since yesterday) Base: 90cm (+10cm change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: All 4 lifts Gondola until 7:00pm Planned open courses: All main runs apart from Legend of Shinya ------------------ Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: ?cm Base: ?cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 200cm Base: 40cm Planned lift operations: Ace Gondola Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) Ace Number 3 pair King Gondola King Number 3 six Swinging Monkey Planned open courses: Family Sennoki Alpen Beginners access Green Shirakaba Center Kogen Dai-ni no kabe Kokutai Holiday Rinkan Jumbo ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 125cm (+10cm change since yesterday) Base: 65cm (+10cm change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: Niseko Gondola Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) Village Express (until 7:00pm) Community Chair Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: 0cm Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 100cm (no change since yesterday) Base: 80cm (no change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: Annupuri gondola Dream Number 1 quad (until 7:00pm) Jumbo Number 1 quad Jumbo Number 2 pair Planned open courses: Utopia Shirakaba Paradise Junior Family Junior ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Planned lift operations: All 3 lifts Niseko Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 170cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 141cm 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 91cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Generally cloudy this morning with some very slight snowfall in places and some signs of blue sky in places. I really wish it was not so, but the forecasts into next week are not teasing us with the chance of much (any?) snow. It's generally more sun than snow. And some very mild conditions centering around Saturday and Sunday. We can hope that it will get colder again on Monday and perhaps Santa has some fluffy gifts for us... --------------- Ski lifts operating (planned): Onsen Number 1 pair Onsen Number 2 quad (unconfirmed) Chuo Number 1 pair Chuo Number 2 pair Mikaeri pair Utopia Number 2 pair Ski runs open (planned): Chuo Uwanodai Utopia Official snow depth (reported by ski area): Yokokura area: 35cm Uwanodai area: 30cm Utopia area: 60cm Chuo area: 30cm Paradise area: 20cm Summit area: 45cm Zao Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2025 Total snowfall at base 91cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (on 4th December) November 2025 snowfall 5cm observed on 2 days December 2025 snowfall 86cm observed 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 Zao 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 248cm Posted on Wednesday 17th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . We got a bit more rain later yesterday with a little dusting kind of snow this morning. Really nothing that makes a difference. We do expect some snow later today. Really want it as there's no snow due beyond that through at least early next week. A mild weekend is ahead of us. --------------------------- Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): 115cm (top) 60cm (base) Planned lift operations (reported by the ski area): Number 1 gondola Quad lift Number 1 pair lift Courses (reported by the ski area): Most main runs are at least part open Tree run courses are not yet open Geto Kogen Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Wednesday 17th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 248cm Number of days snowfall observed 16 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 77cm (on 5th December) November 2025 snowfall 54cm observed on 5 days December 2025 snowfall 194cm observed 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 132cm Posted on Wednesday 17th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Rain again overnight, ending with a few sprinkles in the early morning hours. It’s sunny to the east and south now, with fog/clouds hanging over the Mt. Myoko resorts. Maybe some snow tomorrow, which we’ll need if more resorts are going to open on the 19th. But it is pretty thin out there still, with bare spots showing on the open runs. Mild temperatures, too, which also is not exactly what we need for on-time openings. It’s pretty out there, though, with lots of animal tracks to follow. Myoko Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Wednesday 17th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 132cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (on 21st November) November 2025 snowfall 35cm reported on 1 day December 2025 snowfall 97cm 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 162cm It feels cold this morning and snow is coming down, with just a little to report since yesterday. The Annupuri gondola is on hold at the start of the day due to strong winds. That appears to be the only lift (scheduled to be open) that is affected as of just past 8:30am. A mild bump is still forecast for around Saturday. Forecasts currently show a return to snow going into Monday. ------------------------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base 5am: -7℃, 15cm snowfall with snowdrift developments. Moiwa Mikaeri 800m: -10℃, W6.1m/s, cornices and snowdrifts developments. Hirafu Hanazono 800m: -10.2℃, NNW5.9m/s with 20m/s gusts, cornices and snowdrifts developments. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW18m/s, Kamui capeSW17m/s, 1015hPa, 2.8m waves. The wind is strong on the edge of the High Pressure system in the west and is making the wave height rise again. Westerly wind remains strong above 1000m and is developing cornices and snowdrifts. Although the average wind speed is around 6m/s, intermittent 20+m/s gusts are blowing. The formation of the slabs aren’t uniform. Wind-drift snow slabs in the leeward slopes above 800m have reached 100cm thickness and are yet to consolidate. They are still structurally unstable and the avalanche risk in leeward slopes under the ridge lines and cornices is high. Slides are likely to occur even if bamboo-grass are visible. Do not ride those slopes carelessly. Surface slab avalanches are highly likely to occur in slopes with heavy deposits of snowdrifts during storms until the snowpack consolidates and stabilizes. Most of the accidents occur in gorges and leeward slopes during storms. Keep this in mind as a common sense and you will avoid most accidents. Wind-affected snow crystals are firm and have a lot of friction. Still fun to ride, but the nose tends to dive down. Ride carefully and avoid ruining your season with a careless injury. The conditions will improve once the wind settles down. Do not push it too hard for now. Have a nice day. ------------------------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: 0cm Base: 3cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) Base: 80cm (-5cm change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: All 4 lifts Gondola until 7:00pm Planned open courses: All main runs apart from Legend of Shinya ------------------ Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: 5cm Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 200cm (-10cm change since yesterday) Base: 40cm (no change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: Ace Gondola Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) Ace Number 3 pair King Gondola King Number 3 six Swinging Monkey Planned open courses: Family Sennoki Alpen Beginners access Green Shirakaba Center Kogen Dai-ni no kabe Kokutai Holiday Rinkan Jumbo ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 115cm (no change since yesterday) Base: 55cm (no change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: Niseko Gondola Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) Village Express (until 7:00pm) Community Chair Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): Peak: 0cm Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): Peak: 100cm (no change since yesterday) Base: 80cm (+30cm change since yesterday) Planned lift operations: Annupuri gondola Dream Number 1 quad (until 7:00pm) Jumbo Number 1 quad Jumbo Number 2 pair Planned open courses: Utopia Shirakaba Paradise Junior Family Junior ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Planned lift operations: All 3 lifts Niseko Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Wednesday 17th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 162cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 133cm 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 87cm Posted on Wednesday 17th December 2025 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Some nice big fluffy flakes coming down yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. Nice. The sun also came out and did it's thing, bit sad. This morning the sun is out and it's a fine morning. There is a chance of light snowfall again tonight and tomorrow is expected to be cold, with the mild weekend beyond that. --------------- Ski lifts operating (planned): Onsen Number 1 pair Onsen Number 2 quad (unconfirmed) Chuo Number 1 pair Chuo Number 2 pair Mikaeri pair Utopia Number 2 pair Ski runs open (planned): Chuo Uwanodai Utopia Official snow depth (reported by ski area): Yokokura area: 35cm Uwanodai area: 30cm Utopia area: 55cm Chuo area: 30cm Paradise area: 20cm Summit area: 45cm Zao Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Wednesday 17th December 2025 Total snowfall at base 87cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (on 4th December) November 2025 snowfall 5cm observed on 2 days December 2025 snowfall 82cm observed 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 Zao 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