Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 3cm Posted on Tuesday 19th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning. And, good news! We have some early morning snow down to base and the village. Depending on where you look and measure, there is up to around 5cm in places. There is 3cm at my trusted measuring point. Always great to be able to report the first (base) snowfall of the season. The next snowfall looks due to be with us around Friday. Bring it on, I say! (As does Naski. More on Naski in a future report for those who are confused!) Planned opening date: Saturday 30th November. Nozawa Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Tuesday 19th November 2024 Total snowfall at base 3cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 3cm November 2024 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 Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 8cm Posted on Monday 18th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It is clearly colder this morning and there has been some slight snowfall down to base so far. Right now as I write this, it is snowing ever so slightly in places (hardly at all). There is a lot of cloud around, but it is fairly bright and there are some patches of blue sky on view looking over towards Mt Yotei. Forecasts seem to be showing some snow due today with a more promising amount looming at the end of the week. Less than two weeks to go now before planned opening dates. Anyway, I think it is time for some coffee and toast. Niseko Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Monday 18th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 8cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 6cm (7th and 8th November) November 2024 snowfall 8cm 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 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 6cm Posted on Friday 15th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from a rather damp Niseko. We have had a few days of warmer weather since my last report. The warmer conditions will probably continue through tomorrow, when it might get as warm as 10C around base. The good news is that hopefully after a rainy start on Sunday, it should turn into snow later on. Monday in particularly looking likely to be cold... and snowy. Yey. I like the sound of that. Niseko Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Friday 15th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 6cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 6cm (7th and 8th November) November 2024 snowfall 6cm 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 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 6cm Posted on Friday 8th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Well, I am happy to report that we did actually get a little more snow since I reported yesterday morning. Nice. We are still expecting clearer and sunny weather over the weekend, particularly tomorrow, with those warmer temperatures. (It has been pleasingly cold the last few days. Indoors, things are, of course, ...toasty). The ski areas plan to open on Saturday 30th November. Niseko Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Friday 8th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 6cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 6cm (7th and 8th November) November 2024 snowfall 6cm 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 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 Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 5cm Posted on Friday 8th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello and greetings from a cold Geto Kogen. Just a quick first report to record the first snowfall of the season with around 5cm at base and up to 10cm on upper areas of the mountain. Warmer conditions are forecast from tomorrow and perhaps a lot of next week, so we can probably expect this snow to disappear (at base anyway). I'll post again next week with more. The ski area plans to open on Saturday 23rd November. Geto Kogen Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Friday 8th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 5cm Number of days snowfall observed 1 day Most snowfall observed on 1 day 5cm (on 8th November) November 2024 snowfall 5cm observed on 1 day 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 4cm Posted on Friday 8th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello from Shiga Kogen. The roads around central Shiga Kogen are clear this morning, but there was some more snow yesterday that I need to report. This morning the clouds have been breaking and there is some blue sky and some sunshine too. We are expecting a weekend of clear and bright weather and it also won't be as cold as the last few days. That will likely continue into the first part of next week. Provisional ski area opening dates: 16th November Kumanoyu Yokoteyama 30th November Ichinose Family Takamagahara Mammoth 7th December Yakebitaiyama 14th December Giant Hasuike Higashidateyama Hoppo Bunadaira Maruike Nishidateyama Terakoya Shiga Kogen Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Friday 8th November 2024 Total snowfall at base 4cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (7th and 8th November) November 2024 snowfall 4cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 3cm Posted on Thursday 7th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Greetings from Hirafu. This morning I have the first snowfall of the season to report from base level. Hurray! I think some celebratory toast is most definitely called for. Depending on location, there has been least a few cm on the ground. I just measured just under 3cm. As of 10am it is still snowing lightly, though it is not the kind of snowfall that will amount to any additional cm. For now, anyway. It is feeling a bit brighter actually. While it is always exciting to get the first snow on the ground, we really can't expect this to remain. Slightly warmer conditions, along with a fair bit of sun, is forecast across the coming week or so. But not to worry, it is still very early. If you haven't already seen them, please do check out my first reports of the season. 6th November 2024 report (lift ticket price discussion) 1st November 2024 report (welcome back message) The ski areas plan to open on Saturday 30th November. Niseko Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Thursday 7th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 3cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 3cm (7th November) November 2024 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 2cm Posted on Thursday 7th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello again from Shiga Kogen. I have some snowfall to report... yes, we have a light covering of snowfall across the Shiga Kogen region. That is, of course, always exciting to see! So I can report the first few cm of snowfall of the season. There will no doubt be a bit more than that in some higher areas. Over the next few days clearer skies are currently forecast and it will be a bit warmer than this rather cold morning. Provisional ski area opening dates: 16th November Kumanoyu Yokoteyama 30th November Ichinose Family Takamagahara Mammoth 7th December Yakebitaiyama 14th December Giant Hasuike Higashidateyama Hoppo Bunadaira Maruike Nishidateyama Terakoya Shiga Kogen Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Thursday 7th November 2024 Total snowfall at base 2cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (7th November) November 2024 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Wednesday 6th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello again! I don't have much to report regarding the weather, but I thought I'd just post a few more pre-season thoughts. We have a new gondola lift at Hirafu this season, which will be fun to check out. I will talk about that more in a future report. One thing that is causing some discussion once again this season is prices, or specifically, price increases. So I'll talk about that a bit today. A Niseko United lift ticket bought at the ticket office window this season (and valid at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and Annupuri) will cost you a handsome 10,500 yen. A ticket for just Hirafu and Hanazono, is 9,500 yen. To give you an idea of how prices have changed in the last few years, that Hirafu-Hanazono ticket was 6,600 yen during the 2021-2022 season. Nearby Rusutsu Resort seems very keen to win the 'most expensive ski resort lift ticket in Japan' competition. A main season full price one-day ticket there costs a whopping 14,500 yen (!)(!!). In 2021-2022, that was 6,500 yen... and that was considered really expensive at that time. That's pretty wild. I'm pretty sure no new ski lifts or major facilities have been added since then. (* It's important to note that cheaper tickets are available online). While lift ticket prices are indeed increasing at many (most?) ski areas around the country again this season, the average is probably more like 5,000-6,000 yen at decently sized ski areas. I feel it is worth pointing out again the very fun fact that there are some tiny ski areas in Hokkaido that are literally free to use. (Check out the ski area listings on the site to discover them). Note: they might not be gnarly. It seems clear that the big famous ski areas up here are continuing to further focus on targeting the overseas visitor market. So, let's premium lift ticket prices! We can only hope that the snow conditions will be similarly Niseko-tastically premium for us to all enjoy and be satisfied. The ski areas here plan to open on Saturday 30th November 2024. Three and a half weeks to go... I am getting more excited by the day! Niseko Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Wednesday 6th November 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2024 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 Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Monday 4th November 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning and hello from Nozawa Onsen. It's a lovely autumn morning. The sun is out and it is nice and cool. (Summer was brutally hot once again this year and it didn't seem to want to quit... I was very happy when it did!). Anyway, the Nozawa Onsen ski season is scheduled to start on Saturday 30th November. That is just 4 weeks away. Exciting times. I'll post some reports here before the season begins and of course will let you know about the snow situation as the opening date approaches. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku! Nozawa Now 2024-2025 season Data as of Monday 4th November 2024 Total snowfall at base 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2024 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 Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 657cm Posted on Monday 6th May 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Greetings from Nozawa Onsen. It's Monday, May 6th, the last day of Golden Week and the last day of the official ski season here in Nozawa. Well, that was the plan. Unfortunately, strong winds are forecast for the day and that is stopping the gondola from opening. The ski areas has announced that it will not be open today. So, effectively, yesterday was the last day of the season. It's not the best way to end, but it can't be helped. At the end of the season, I always have some curious, mixed feelings. On the one hand, it feels like the ski season has whizzed by—much too quickly. But at the same time, it feels like I have been posting these daily reports for about forever! The spring season, in particular, always seems very long. Here we are at the end of an 'interesting' season. With less snow than average, a pattern that affected almost all of Japan, the ski area has done very well in remaining open until early May. The unexpected snowfall numbers in March helped out a lot after an uncharacteristically low amount of snow in February. Nozawa attracted (what I am guessing is) a record number of inbound visitors this past ski season, and the Japanese media has been paying close attention to that. And that number is only going to increase. The contrast in mood from the covid years is pretty drastic! I tried to get an exclusive interview with our popular bright green skiing vegetable mascot, Naski… but without success. On reflection, perhaps Naski should remain a charismatic enigma. I hope the ski area won’t mind me using a photo of Naski below. With that, I am going to sign off and take a rest. I hope the summer months don't get too hot and sticky and that next winter brings us huge amounts of beautiful snow. Thank you for reading the reports. All the reports and all the stats from this season and past seasons can be found using the links above. See you again towards the end of the year! Nozawa Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Monday 6th May 2024 Total snowfall at base 657cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 60 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 64cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2023 snowfall 93cm reported on 10 days January 2024 snowfall 219cm reported on 14 days February 2024 snowfall 135cm reported on 16 days March 2024 snowfall 189cm reported on 18 days April 2024 snowfall 0cm May 2024 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 Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 561cm Posted on Monday 6th May 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Today (Monday 6th May 2024) is the last day of the 2023-2024 season for the the last of the ski lifts still open at Hakuba Goryu, 47 and Tsugaike. After a few days of sunshine and warmth, we start this last day with cloudy skies. A big otsukaresama deshita to everyone involved in keeping the lifts open and everything running throughout the season and into late spring. It has been a whole lot of fun! Obviously. I’ve had some excellent days out there, and I can’t recall hearing anyone saying much of anything negative… even when it wasn’t snowing as much as we would have liked. Looking back, it really has been a curious season. As you can see, looking at the stats on the Snowfall analysis and Seasonal archives pages of this report, I reported the most snow during the months of January (to be expected)... and March (much less expected)! The 'total snowfall at base' numbers were pretty decent for the season compared with other recent previous seasons. And remember, this is very important, the observed snowfall numbers in these reports are from the base, not high up in the mountain (where more snow falls). Here is the amount of snow reported by the ski areas themselves, according to Hakuba Valley official sources: ABLE Hakuba Goryu: 1055cm Hakuba 47: 783cm Hakuba Happo-one: 835cm Hakuba Cortina: 922cm Tsugaike Mountain Resort: 928cm In terms of visitor numbers to the Hakuba region... well, there were indeed lots and lots of them! Finding quieter days and secret spots in Hakuba during the peak season is becoming increasingly challenging. All of the daily reports from this past season, as well as many previous seasons, are always available on the site if you want to look back. That's all from me and from Hakuba for now. Thank you for reading the reports. Hope you enjoyed following them. I'll be back later in November as the 2024-2025 season approaches. Hakuba Now 2023-2024 season Data as Monday 6th May 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 561cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 61 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (8th January) November 2023 snowfall 28cm reported on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 93cm reported on 13 days January 2024 snowfall 187cm reported on 16 days February 2024 snowfall 72cm reported on 13 days March 2024 snowfall 181cm reported on 15 days April 2024 snowfall 0cm May 2024 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 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