Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 424cm Posted on Sunday 22nd May 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Today is the last day of the snow season at Kagura. Somehow – magic perhaps! - they have managed to remain open until now and are closing just one week earlier than originally planned. It must be said that they did very well. A big ‘otsukaresama’ to everyone involved. 2015/2016 season was definitely a strange one as you no doubt know if you have been following these Yuzawa Now reports and the other daily reports on the site. The northern island of Hokkaido seemed to have a something-like-normal season, but for most of the main Honshu island there was just way less snow than we are used to. While we still probably got more snow here in Yuzawa than lots of ski resorts around the world, for us it was very lean. After all, we are used to very regular deliveries of huge amounts of snow. Silly amounts. And don’t we just love those silly amounts of snow! Just compare the observed snowfall during 2015/2016 with the previous season: 2015/2016 season: 424cm 2014/2015 season: 1303cm Those numbers are how much snow fell here in town. Same place, same observer. It’s a pretty stark contrast, with over 3 times more snow falling the previous season. Less snow doesn’t mean that people didn’t enjoy themselves, of course. There were flashes of greatness here and there and I personally enjoyed many fine days out on the slopes. And I’m sure many other people did enjoy themselves. Timing was all important, perhaps more than usual. And there was again a noticeable increase in the number of non-Japanese visiting Yuzawa this winter. But let’s hope that for the upcoming 2016-2017 season we can get back to normal in terms of snowfall. And yes, I will very happily get out there twice a day with the shovel to dig out my front door and car. I promise not to moan…. rather, give thanks! --- During the summer months both the Kagura and GALA Yuzawa resorts have a course open covered with ‘snow mats’ for those who want to take a slide. It’s not the same as real snow of course, but a kind of fun all the same and lovely to escape the heat down below for sure. Best not to take new gear though... --- The Fuji Rock Festival is the next big event in Yuzawa. This year the main headliners for the festival are Sigur Ros, Beck and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and they are backed up by many more acts - mostly a mix of overseas and alternative style Japanese artists. Fuji Rock Festival takes place at Naeba resort about 25 minutes away from central Yuzawa town, from Friday 22nd July until Sunday 24th July. --- That’s it from the Yuzawa Now reports for this season. Hope you enjoyed our reports, thanks for reading and see you soon. Yuzawa Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Monday 16th May 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 424cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 44 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (10th February) November 2015 snowfall 0cm December 2015 snowfall 92cm reported on 7 days January 2016 snowfall 143cm reported on 18 days February 2016 snowfall 151cm reported on 14 days March 2016 snowfall 38cm reported on 5 days April 2016 snowfall 0cm May 2016 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Saturday 5th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Welcome back to the 'Yuzawa Now' reports on SnowJapan. After a predictably hot summer, temperatures have really dropped over the last few weeks and it is positively chilly at times now - including early this morning, when temperatures were down to around 4C in town. The first snow of the season has also been spotted... first up on the higher areas of Kagura a number of days ago, and yesterday we could see snow on the top areas of the Makihata and Hakkai-san mountains in Minamiuonuma. It will be a while before the snow reaches down here to town and before most ski resorts open of course, but it always great to see the first snow of the season. Let's hope we are going to be treated to a season of heavy (but light!) and consistent snow this coming season. This morning there are clear blue skies all around. It really is a beautiful morning. The first ski lifts to move will of course be at the Kagura resort (via Mitsumata Ropeway), which plans to open this year on Saturday 19th November. So if all things go well, we are only two weeks from the start of the season! Most of the resorts in Yuzawa open in the second half of December. We will bring you details on the planned opening dates soon. Another report next week. Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 5th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2016 snowfall 0cm Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 2cm Posted on Thursday 24th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Snow is falling this morning here in Yuzawa - down to town level as well. I'm going to award 2cm of snowfall for this report, and by the time it finishes snowing by lunchtime - so the forecast says - perhaps there might even be a bit more. Great to see snow falling outside the windows but it is not going to last long, so don't get too excited just yet. Tomorrow should be a bit warmer and we might see some sunshine. There must be a few cm of snow piling up at Kagura right now, but there's not enough to consider opening today. --- Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Kagura (Mitsumata) Saturday 3rd December: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Muimamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Thursday 24th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 2cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 2cm Posted on Friday 25th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. An early update this morning as there is some big news... Kagura is going to open today, officially starting the snow season here in Yuzawa. So what exactly is going to be open? Here's what the resort is saying: A 600m section of the main run at Kagura will be open. The course is 30-50m in width and the natural snow has been helped on by snow making machines giving what the resort reports as 50cm snow depth. Operating lifts are Mitsumata Ropeway, Mitsumata Number 1 quad, Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair, Kagura Gondola and Kagura Number 1 romance pair lift. All but the last one are basically operating to get you over to the course that is open. The lifts can be used to get back down as well, which means that there is no shuttle bus needed this year. The Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be operating from 8am until 5pm, with the last one going up at 4:30pm. So there we have it. It's very limited of course, but if you want to get skiing or boarding in Yuzawa... you can. What's more, it's a lovely morning here with the sun shining and some fine blue skies. Down here in town most of the snow that fell yesterday has now gone - or will be gone soon - and today and tomorrow temperatures will probably rise close to 10 degrees during the daytime. There's not a whole lot of snow on the forecast for the coming week, even higher up, but we'll keep an eye on that and the forecast as we move forward ever closer to December. --- Ski resorts currently open: Kagura via Mitsumata Ropeway - a 600m long run is now open at the main Kagura area Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): Saturday 3rd December: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Muimamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Friday 25th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 2cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 2cm Posted on Saturday 26th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa and the sun is shining through my window here right now. There's some (early morning) cloud around but lots of blue sky too and a beautiful start to the day. It is going to be a relatively mild day (temperature up to around 10C in town maybe). We got some rain here in town last night but Kagura is reporting 2cm of fresh snow up top since yesterday, and also that they now have a 1,500m stretch of the main course open - along with the Kagura quad lift operating for the weekend. So to recap on what is open: A 1,500m section of the main run at Kagura. The course is 30-50m in width and the natural snow has been helped on by snow making machines giving what the resort reports as 50cm snow depth. Operating lifts are: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair - Kagura Gondola - Kagura Number 1 quad lift - Kagura Number 2 romance pair lift All but the last two are basically operating to get you over to the course area that is open. The lifts can be used to get back down as well, which means that there is no shuttle bus needed. The Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be operating from 8am until 5pm, with the last one going up at 4:30pm. The forecast seems a bit more promising for tomorrow night into Monday, though it may well start with rain again in town. Kagura may well benefit from some decent snowfall though. I'll keep you updated. The images below for today are from Kagura, Mitsumata and NASPA Ski Garden. --- Ski resorts currently open: Kagura via Mitsumata Ropeway - a 1,500m long run is now open at the main Kagura area Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): Saturday 3rd December: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Muimamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 26th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 2cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 2cm Posted on Friday 2nd December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Another fairly mild overnight and early morning with wet roads due to the rain before dawn. Things seem to be getting brighter though and the weather forecast says that we will see some sunny conditions later in the day as well as a high temperature of around 8C in town. Up at the open Kagura resort, they are reporting 1-5cm of fresh snowfall overnight and again the main course, Technical and Family courses are open. The Giant and Gondola courses are also scheduled to be open from today as well, but they are not actually mentioning that on their morning mini-report -- so we'll call that unconfirmed for the moment. Tomorrow the Panorama course is also scheduled to be available. Fine weather is forecast for tomorrow with temperatures in town reaching double digits. Look to around Tuesday for the next snowfall. --- A recap on what is planned to be open today at Kagura: Open courses are: - Kagura main course - Technical course - Family course - Giant course (planned to be open) - Gondola course (planned to be open) Operating lifts are: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair - Kagura Gondola - Kagura Number 1 quad lift --- Ski resorts currently open: Kagura - part, via Mitsumata Ropeway Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Muimamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Friday 2nd December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 2cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 0cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 3cm Posted on Wednesday 7th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Great to see some snow falling during the day yesterday. It was really trying to snow down to town level once again, though we didn't really get much other than a dusting in places, with more on the ground the higher up you go. Kagura this morning are reporting 10cm of fresh snow on the main Kagura runs and 5cm at the Mitsumata area. The fresh snowfall has allowed them to open up the Panorama course as well as the Family course at Mitsumata once again. Lots of cloud this morning and a wet feel but the forecast is for clearer conditions later on. It is a chilly morning but it might reach around 6C later on. There's a chance of more snow overnight, especially at higher elevations, and more over the weekend as well. This coming Saturday the Tashiro area of Kagura, Naeba and Maiko Snow Resort all plan to open... --- What is planned to be open today at Kagura: Open courses are: - Kagura main course - Technical course - Giant course - Gondola course - Panorama course - Family course (Mitsumata) Operating lifts are: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair - Kagura Gondola - Kagura Number 1 quad lift - Kagura Number 4 romance pair --- Ski resorts currently open: Kagura - open courses as noted above, access via Mitsumata Ropeway Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28thy December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Wednesday 7th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 3cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 4cm Posted on Thursday 8th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa and I can see fresh snow. Just a bit here around town with Kagura reporting up to 20cm of fresh snowfall. Going back to yesterday - the clouds cleared up leaving us with a beautiful day with lots of blue sky and sunshine too. It was snowing when I got up early this morning but it's turned into a rather wet sleet at the moment, and it is raining just out of Yuzawa in Minamiuonuma. Currently 3C in town. The big news of the morning is that Kagura have announced that Tashiro will open as planned on Saturday and that all courses at Kagura will be opening as well. Currently there is apparently 50cm of snow at Tashiro with 15-20cm of that coming overnight. The main Kagura area has had about 20cm and the Mitsumata area about 10cm. Not bad going - they do try to get things open just as quickly as possible. It's still not normal season deep yet of course, but with all of it being open there'll be plenty of choice. And no doubt it will be busy too with other resorts not being able to open yet... Naeba is also of course set to open on Saturday and they have the artificial snow run at base to rely on, irrespective of how much natural snow there is. Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai are already on stand-by to open and Maiko Snow Resort will be joining them from Saturday. I think they'll need to be on standby a little longer. Snow looks likely over the weekend though, so fingers-crossed... --- What is planned to be open today at Kagura: Open courses are: - Kagura main course - Technical course - Giant course - Gondola course - Panorama course - Family course (Mitsumata) Operating lifts are: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair - Kagura Gondola - Kagura Number 1 quad lift - Kagura Number 4 romance pair --- Ski resorts currently open: Kagura - open courses as noted above, access via Mitsumata Ropeway Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 10th December: Kagura (Tashiro) Maiko Snow Resort Naeba Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28thy December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Thursday 8th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 4cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (24th November) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 2cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 12cm Posted on Saturday 10th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from a snowy Yuzawa. Yes, this is what we like to see! Snow on the ground, snow falling from the skies. When I went to bed last night heavy rain was belting down on the roof and I was wondering if it would be snowing, but it felt colder last night and while it isn't super cold this morning there's definitely a chill in the air. Hopefully it will keep that way and snow will continue through the day, as forecast. From today of course Kagura is almost all open - there are a few courses in the Tashiro area that are not open, but generally it's pretty much all accessible. They are reporting 20-30cm of snowfall since yesterday and so it should be good fun up there this morning. It is snowing down to town level which of course is good news for all of the other resorts. Maiko Snow Resort, Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai are waiting until there is enough to open and they will be eager to do so. It is a big week coming up as well with a bunch of resorts hoping to open next weekend. So snow is forecast to continue today and tomorrow as well before clearer weather on Monday - and a return back to snow by Wednesday. --- Ski resorts that are currently open: Kagura (Mitsumata) Kagura (Tashiro) Naeba Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Maiko Snow Resort Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28thy December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 10th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 12cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 8cm (10th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 10cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 26cm Snowfall at base this season 38cm Posted on Sunday 11th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Hello from Yuzawa and it is a very good morning. I am happy to be able to report some decent snowfall, which is always something that makes me happy. I am hearing my first snow-moving-machine go up the road as well now - always a good sound! I have 3 different snowfall readings from a few different places this morning and they range from 18cm to 30cm. I'm going to go with my usual measuring point though and log in 26cm of fresh snowfall since the report yesterday. Interestingly, Kagura are reporting just 20cm - I thought they might have more to report than that... It is still snowing here now and coming down pretty heavily as well just now. The forecast is for snow through the day today thought it is forecast to clear up by tomorrow morning and there may be some sun up there to enjoy. As we get into Tuesday rain is forecast for (at least) town level unfortunately but by Wednesday hopefully we'll be back to snowy skies with more due through into the end of the week. So, a bit difficult to read but as things are this morning it's feeling pretty good. There's no word yet from the three resorts that remain on stand-by, but you can be sure that they will be opening up some lifts and courses as soon as they can. It's looking good though and I expect to hear something from them soon. --- Ski resorts that are currently open: Kagura (Mitsumata) Kagura (Tashiro) Naeba Planned opening dates for resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): As soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Maiko Snow Resort Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Ipponsugi Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateaux Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28thy December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 11th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 38cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (11th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 36cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 53cm Posted on Monday 12th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. That was a very satisfying weekend! Lots of snow falling and the first real 'mid-winter feel' of the season, at town level anyway. Dare I say it, it felt more like two seasons ago than last season. Check the archive reports to see what I mean by that! But, lets not get too over-excited just yet... So it was snowing for most of the day yesterday and heavily at times too. I have recorded another 15cm of snowfall since my report yesterday morning. There's a nice blanket of snow everywhere this morning. And what a morning it is too! The sun is out and we have clear blue skies over Yuzawa. Stunning. It is a fairly cold start to the morning but will warm up a bit, to perhaps around +4C this afternoon. Tomorrow is going to be warmer still and later on in the day it's looking like we are going to get rained on in lower elevations. The good news is that by Wednesday it should be snowing again. In most seasons we do actually get a layer of snow down in town that melts away before we get the snow that remains for the winter. What will it be this season? Will this layer remain? We'll just have to wait and see what happens day by day, and I will of course bring you the latest every morning. I was half expecting Maiko Snow Resort to say they might be opening this morning, but as of 9am there is no word from them yet. They did mention that they had 30cm of snow at the base of the resort yesterday afternoon though. Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai also remain 'on standby'. Resort-specific info as of Monday 12th December 2016 Ski resorts that are currently open in the region: Kagura Almost all of Kagura is now open. They are reporting 15-20cm of fresh snow overnight. Official snow depth: Kagura - 120cm Mitsumata - 80cm Tashiro - 100cm Naeba The lower slopes of Naeba are open. Official snow depth: 60cm Planned opening dates for other resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): Opening as soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Maiko Snow Resort Friday 16th December: Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateau Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28th December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka --- 'Nighta' (floodlit night operations) Below are details of the planned 'nighta' operations at ski and snowboards resorts around Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma this season. This information is subject to change due to snow and weather conditions. Ishiuchi Maruyama Daily from 23rd December 2016 until 19th March 2017. Nighta is from 5pm until 8:50pm. The Chuo Number 1, Chuo Number 2 and Kanko Number 3 Express lifts are open daily. The Kanko Number 1 Express lift, Hatsukaishi Entrance lift and Hatsukaishi Number 2 pair lifts are also open on weekends and holidays. Iwappara Daily from 17th December 2016 until 20th March 2017. Nighta is from 5pm until 9pm on Saturdays and until 8pm on weekdays and Sundays. The Main course, Grand course and West courses are open during nighta. Joetsu Kokusai Daily from 17th December 2016 until 20th March 2017. Nighta is from 5pm until 9pm. The area in front of the main base hotel is open for nighta. Kandatsu Kogen 'Hobo All Night' ('Almost All Night') is on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before holidays between 29th December 2016 and 1st April 2017. The nighta opening times on those days is from 6pm until 4am the following morning. Maiko Snow Resort Daily from 28th December 2016 until 19th March 2017. Nighta is from 4pm until 8pm. The Maiko center quad lift on the Maiko Side of the resort operates for nighta. Naeba Daily from 17th December 2016 until 26th March 2017. Nighta is from 4pm until 8:30pm. Part of the lower area of the resort is usually open for nighta. NASPA Ski Garden 'Thanks' (extended) opening on Saturdays in December, January and February and also on 23rd December and from 30th December until 8th January 2017. On those days the Number 1 lift is open until 6pm. Yuzawa Nakazato Every Saturday from 7th January until 11th March 2017, 29th December until 3rd January, 8th January 2017. Nighta is from 5pm until 8:30pm. The Number 2 pair lift operates during nighta. Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Monday 12th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 53cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (11th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 51cm 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 Yuzawa. 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 24cm Snowfall at base this season 77cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. It's a very good morning here in Yuzawa. We have a decent amount of fresh snow on the ground and also things are looking good for ski resort openings over the next few days. Yes, the wet conditions yesterday turned into snowy conditions later in the afternoon and this morning there's 20cm of fresh snow on the ground outside SnowJapan HQ here just to the north of Yuzawa, and 24cm at our Yuzawa measuring point. Maiko Snow Resort have announced that they will be opening from tomorrow (Friday), and they'll announce exactly what will be open in terms of lifts and courses later on today - though depending on how much snow falls it may just be the top Okusoeji bowl area via the Gondola. Iwappara and Joetsu Kokusai have said that they are both now planning towards opening from Saturday. Muica Snow Resort was hoping to open from tomorrow but has delayed that for the moment and no word from Yuzawa Park just yet (they were also aiming for Friday). Then there's the whole bunch of places that were hoping to open from Saturday... Exactly how much snow falls over the next few days is obviously going to have a big affect on what opens up by the weekend, but it is snowing right now still and snow is forecast for the day tomorrow as well - so it's all looking promising. If you look back over the archive reports, you'll notice that this time last year we were still waiting to record the first snow on the ground here in town, so we are definitely enjoying a more promising start to the season. Exciting times! We'll have a clearer idea on the situation tomorrow morning and I will of course update you with the latest. --- Resort-specific info as of Thursday 15th December 2016 Ski resorts that are currently open in the region: Kagura All areas of Kagura are now open. The top Kagura Number 5 pair lift and course will open from 1st January 2017. The resort is reporting 15cm of fresh snow at Tashiro, 20cm at Mitsumata and 20-30cm at the main Kagura area. Official snow depth: Kagura - 120cm Mitsumata - 80cm Tashiro - 100cm Naeba A few of the lower slopes of Naeba are open. Official snow depth: 60cm Planned opening dates for other resorts in Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma City (by date): Opening as soon as there is enough snow: Iwappara Joetsu Kokusai Maiko Snow Resort Muica Snow Resort Yuzawa Park Saturday 17th December: GALA Yuzawa Kandatsu Kogen Ludens Yuzawa Muikamachi Hakkaisan Nakazato Snow Wood Yuzawa Kogen Yuzawa Nakazato Wednesday 21st December: Ishiuchi Maruyama Thursday 22nd December: NASPA Ski Garden Friday 23rd December: Chateau Shiozawa Ipponsugi Itsukamachi Saturday 24th December: Hakkai Sanroku Mt Granview Wednesday 28th December: Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 77cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (11th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 75cm 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 Yuzawa. 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