Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 388cm Posted on Saturday 6th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello from Geto Kogen. We had some light rain last night with it changing to snow this morning. There's a bit of a dusting on the ground (the ski area reports 3cm on the mountain). We are hoping for some consistent snowfall over the next few days. It would normally be a busy weekend. Monday is a national holiday. The ski area will want nothing more than to be able to open up more tree runs... all depends on the snow. Lifts operating (planned): All lifts operating. Runs open (planned): All the main runs should be open. Scheduled to open tree runs: Heart and Rabbit. More will open when there is enough snow. Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): 130cm (top) 90cm (base) Geto Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Saturday 6th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 388cm Number of days snowfall observed 24 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 73cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 138cm observed on 5 days December 2023 snowfall 243cm observed on 16 days January 2024 snowfall 7cm observed 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 401cm Posted on Saturday 6th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning everyone. It is the first day of the early January long weekend - Monday is Coming of Age Day and a national holiday - and traditionally it is a busy one for Japanese ski areas. After a few reports with no fresh snowfall to report, this morning I have measured 10cm though we can expect more at higher elevations. Indeed Hirafu and Hanazono are both reporting 20cm and the Avalanche Report is mentioning 25cm. It hasn't been particularly cold and so the snow condition certainly doesn't look peak Niseko, but it should be keeping colder and the snowfall should be consistent over the coming days and perhaps heavy (as in, lots of it) at times. That sounds good to me. Have a good weekend. ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain Base 6am: -3°, 10cm new snow in last 12hrs, 25cm in last 24hr, calm. Moiwa 800m: -6.1°, NW3.9m/s. Mikaeri 764m: -4°, W5m/s, bad visibility. Hanazono 1000m: -6.2°, NNE2.3m/s. Hanazono 3 : -3.6°, WSW1.0m/s, groomer condition good. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:W7m/s. Kamui Cape light winds, 1011hPa, wave 0.6m. Following the passage of a low pressure system, the isobar width have opened up and the seas and mountains are calm. 10 cm of crystalline snow fell overnight on the mountain, on top of yesterday's 20 cm low-pressure snowfall. From data and observations, there is no significant snowdrift development and the avalanche risk is low. Groomers are in fantastic shape. Do not duck ropes to go out of bounds. If one person goes through others will follow and its only a matter of time before an accident occurs. This is a ski resort and skiers must follow the rules if they want to ride the lifts. The ski resort and region are grateful to those who respect the Niseko Rules. Peak gates will be open soon. Until then, we strongly demand that you do not duck ropes to enter Osawa and Fujiwara no Sawa. Be careful not to have a season ending accident. Have a nice day. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Saturday 6th January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 210cm (+5cm since yesterday) - Base: 90cm (+20cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 17cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 167cm (+14cm since yesterday) - Base: 120cm (+7cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 132cm - Base: 95cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Saturday 6th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 401cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 39 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 34cm 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 190cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . An enjoyable late start to my day today, which means I can get new information from all the resorts (if they haven't reported by 9, they aren't really using their websites well!). Anther sunny day. I'm glad people can actually see the beauty of Mt. Myoko and the surrounding peaks, because in a normal year many people never see the mountains during their stay here because of constant snow. The small bit of extra snow yesterday did help on the slopes, but do be careful on the cat tracks; there was gray here and there yesterday which in fact is the road underneath starting to show through. I know the resorts are doing all they can to cover over the thin spots and dangerous areas, but there is a limit, given the supply of snow. Now just a wait for a few days until the next cycle comes through, and hoping that it turns out bigger than predicted (when the opposite has been the case this year). Akakura Kanko: 80cm, -4° All lifts running Akakura Onsen: 30cm, -3° Six main lifts running Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick: 50cm, 2° (no new report, and good luck finding lift info on their site!) Four main lifts running Myoko Suginohara: 50cm, -5° Gondala, Mitahara Nos. 2 and 3 Seki Onsen: 110cm, -1° Open Kyukamura RunRun: 50cm, 0° Open Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort: 45cm, -3° Four of five lifts running Madarao Mountain Resort: 60cm, -1° All main lifts running Lotte Arai Resort: 171cm, 4.3° All lifts running Kurohime Kogen Snow Park: 40cm, -3° All main lifts running Myoko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 190cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 65cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 42cm reported on 1 day December 2023 snowfall 135cm reported on 9 days January 2024 snowfall 13cm 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 166cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . It is a clear and sunny morning in northern Nagano. A cold early morning but it will be a relatively mild day... perhaps around 0C. Fresh snow is still forecast for the late weekend. Monday is also a national holiday and so will be busier than a normal weekday. Shiga Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2024 Total snowfall at base 166cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 24 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 32cm reported on 8 days December 2023 snowfall 95cm reported on 13 days January 2024 snowfall 39cm reported on 3 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 387cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Geto Kogen. 5cm or so around base this morning with a bit more on the mountain. Rewind a bit and we got some rain yesterday, always unwelcome in January, but it turned into snow by the evening. Just cloudy now. Lifts operating (planned): All lifts operating. Runs open (planned): All the main runs should be open. Scheduled to open tree runs: Heart. More will open when there is enough snow. Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): 130cm (top) 95cm (base). Geto Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 387cm Number of days snowfall observed 23 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 73cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 138cm observed on 5 days December 2023 snowfall 243cm observed on 16 days January 2024 snowfall 6cm observed 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 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 Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 75cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Naeba. The sight outside is much improved, with snow on the trees and substantial flakes of fresh snowfall continuing to accumulate. Currently, I have measured 8cm of fresh snow, and the snowfall is persisting, likely adding a few more centimeters in the coming hours. At the mountain's peak, clouds cloak the summit, accompanied by robust winds expected to persist at least until midday. The consistency of the snow isn't the ideal dry powder we dream of; it's a bit wet, but every additional centimeter contributes significantly and is invaluable at this stage. Hopefully there will be another substantial snowfall at the weekend. Continue with your snow prayers! ------------------------------------ Official snow depth: Summit: 40cm Base: 20cm Scheduled lift operations: Prince Number 2 Gondola Takenokodaira romance pair lift Number 4 romance pair lift Number 3 high speed lift Number 4 high speed lift Number 5 high speed lift Hiuchi pair lift Dragondola Courses planned to be open: - 9 of 24 courses are open - You can ski/board back down from Takenokodaira back to base Naeba Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 75cm Number of days snowfall observed 5 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 50cm (23rd December) * total over the days before 23rd December 2023 snowfall 58cm observed on 3 days January 2024 snowfall 17cm observed 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 Naeba. 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 111cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Morning from Zao. Last night there was a bit of rain but thankfully it turned into snow. There is a fog coming down the mountain this morning and visibility looks limited at the time of writing. The wind is kicking up a bit as well and I cannot see Jupeer. The forecasts say sun tomorrow and hopefully some more fresh snow over the weekend. Ski area operations: Most lifts are now operating, though there are some course restrictions. Snow levels are low and more is required for the whole mountain to get open. Official snow depth (reported by ski area): Yokokura area: 25cm Uwanodai area: 25cm Utopia area: 65cm Chuo area: 60cm Paradise area: 60cm Summit area: 35cm Zao Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base 111cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 32cm observed on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 66cm observed on 14 days January 2024 snowfall 13cm observed 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 186cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Good news for a change! Some pretty steady rain overnight did indeed get magically transformed into snow by that good north wind. There's only about 3cm on the ground now, but it's falling at a rate of maybe two or three centimeters per hour. We need it, too. One of the cat tracks in Akakura was ground down to asphalt yesterday, sending a few people flying (although I didn't hear of anyone getting injured). Rocks, grass and dirt, too, so this is really welcome snow. More is predicted around the 8th, so I hope we get a good solid cover today. The domestic crowd largely returned to the big cities yesterday, so the pressure on the snowpack has been reduced a bit. At least until next weekend. Again, not many new reports here, so the temperatures will be lower than today, which has started mild but might go down again as the cold winds come in. The resorts making an early report will get a NEW mark.... Thank them for providing timely info. Akakura Kanko: 70cm, -2° All lifts running Akakura Onsen: 30cm, -2° Six main lifts running Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick: 50cm, 2° (no new report, and good luck finding lift info on their site!) Four main lifts running Myoko Suginohara: 45cm, -4° Gondala, Mitahara Nos. 2 and 3 Seki Onsen: 110cm, -3° NEW Open Kyukamura RunRun: 70cm, -1° NEW Open Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort: 40cm, -1° Four of five lifts running Madarao Mountain Resort: 60cm, -1° NEW All main lifts running Lotte Arai Resort: 159cm, 5.4° NEW All lifts running Kurohime Kogen Snow Park: 35cm, -4° All main lifts running Myoko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 186cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 65cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 42cm reported on 1 day December 2023 snowfall 135cm reported on 9 days January 2024 snowfall 9cm 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 165cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . It has been snowing this morning. I am in Hasuike now and it is snowing but there is actually a bit of (temporary) sun. Other areas are much more mid-winter-y snow scenes, so it's one of those mornings where there is a selection of different weather conditions across the Shiga Kogen area. I wonder how the day will turn out. Anyway it is good to have fresh snow, even if it isn't a huge amount. As of 7am Kumanoyu was reporting 3cm. Just a short while ago, Okushiga Kogen has reported 5-10cm of fresh snowfall. Sun forecast for the day tomorrow. Snow over the weekend, most due late Sunday. Shiga Kogen Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2024 Total snowfall at base 165cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (23rd December) November 2023 snowfall 32cm reported on 8 days December 2023 snowfall 95cm reported on 13 days January 2024 snowfall 38cm 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 6cm Snowfall at base this season 391cm Posted on Wednesday 3rd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It has, of course, been a very sobering start to the year for Japan. While the events of the last few days have not directly affected our lives up here, it's hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed by what has been happening with the earthquake and then that awful plane accident at Haneda. Moving away from all that, as I write this, the sun is shining through my window and it looks like a fine morning. There is some cloud around. Today and tomorrow should bring us more sun than snow, with the next snowfall due from Friday. Ski areas are reporting up to 20cm of snowfall on the mountain this morning, though there has been less than that lower down. The gondola at Annupuri is going to be delayed this morning, though I can't find any details beyond that. The Swinging Monkey lift at Hirafu also looks delayed. If you are one of the naughty people who did not check my report yesterday, including a bit of a summary of the season so far, you can find it here. ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -6C, light snowfall in 12h, calm and good visibility. Oiwa800m: -9.3C, NNW5m/s, 10cm snowfall, good visibility. Mikaeri 764m: -11C, light breeze, 10cm snowfall, good visibility. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -9.4C, N4.2m/s, 20cm snowfall. Hanazono#3: -6.5C, NNE2.5m/s, 20cm snowfall, good visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW5m/s, Kamui cape WSW5m/s, 1016hPa, 1.0m waves. Calm morning on the sea and the mountains. There has been no notable development of snowdrifts and cornices. Looking at the weather transition, various data and reports, the slabs formed by the recent storm are stable and the avalanche risk is low. Peak gates cannot open yet due to lack of snow. The abundance of inbounds accidents are keeping the ski patrollers too busy for them to get the gates ready. Please allow some more time. Tourers beware when hiking to surrounding mountains. Overconfidence and greed causes accidents. Tour leaders are responsible for the safety of the whole group. The soft snow layer is shallow; ski carefully. Do not duck ropes. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Wednesday 3rd January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 210cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 80cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 12cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 160cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 115cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 132cm - Base: 95cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Wednesday 3rd January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 391cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 38 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 24cm 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 109cm Posted on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning. Yesterday, the snow stopped around 3pm. Today there is a little overcast over the far side of the mountain. I can clearly see the top of this side of the mountain and there is quite a bit of blue sky. It's going to be a fine day. Zao Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Total snowfall at base 109cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (on 30th November) November 2023 snowfall 32cm observed on 4 days December 2023 snowfall 66cm observed on 14 days January 2024 snowfall 11cm observed 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 385cm Posted on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. A part of the 2cm I am reporting this morning has come down early morning as there wasn't much overnight when I got up and it is snowing rather nicely as I write this and it doesn't seem windy. May it continue. My thoughts are with the people who were affected by the earthquake in Ishikawa yesterday afternoon. We didn't feel it up here in Hokkaido. Here's some words I prepared yesterday. ------------------ A look back at the season so far: until end of December 2023 It turns out that, naughty me, I didn’t do one of my analysis thingies at the beginning of December, so I’m going to talk about that a bit here. For those unfamiliar with all this, the numbers I am introducing below are all the snowfall measurements I observed near the base of Hirafu. The numbers are all comparable because they have come from the same spot every day over the last 12 seasons. OK, so November was actually pretty good! This is how much snowfall I have measured during November since 2012. November 2023: 120cm November 2022: 17cm November 2021: 85cm November 2020: 62cm November 2019: 85cm November 2018: 84cm November 2017: 188cm November 2016: 110cm November 2015: 61cm November 2014: 30cm November 2013: 123cm November 2012: 118cm The first snowfall in my reports was on 5th November. November 2023 clearly handily beat the previous 5 seasons in terms of snowfall at base, though couldn’t challenge the impressive 188cm we got in 2017. Still, it was a very good showing and an encouraging start to the season. Excite! Here’s the numbers for December 2023: December 2023: 247cm December 2022: 336cm December 2021: 307cm December 2020: 348cm December 2019: 207cm December 2018: 333cm December 2017: 406cm December 2016: 181cm December 2015: 244cm December 2014: 519cm December 2013: 275cm December 2012: 418cm So, once we got into December, things slowed down. Beyond the first day of the month, we didn’t get much until around the 17th-18th of December. Beyond that, the snowfall was, thankfully, fairly consistent until the end of the year. The most snowfall in one day was 31cm on 18th December, and by the end of the year, I had been able to post at least some snowfall on a total of 34 days. Next up are the totals for the season so far. The following is how much snowfall I have observed up until the end of December: 2023/2024 season up to end of December 2023: 367cm 2022/2023 season up to end of December 2022: 353cm 2021/2022 season up to end of December 2021: 392cm 2020/2021 season up to end of December 2020: 410cm 2019/2020 season up to end of December 2019: 292cm 2018/2019 season up to end of December 2018: 417cm 2017/2018 season up to end of December 2017: 594cm 2016/2017 season up to end of December 2016: 291cm 2015/2016 season up to end of December 2015: 305cm 2014/2015 season up to end of December 2014: 549cm 2013/2014 season up to end of December 2013: 398cm 2012/2013 season up to end of December 2012: 536cm As a total so far, very close to the last few seasons and a bit under the average (408cm). Here is how much of the total snowfall for the whole season we have already had fallen on us by the end of December in previous seasons, just to perhaps give us an idea of what to expect: By the end of December 2022, as a % of the season total: about 35% By the end of December 2021, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2020, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2019, as a % of the season total: about 40% By the end of December 2018, as a % of the season total: about 44% By the end of December 2017, as a % of the season total: about 47% By the end of December 2016, as a % of the season total: about 43% By the end of December 2015, as a % of the season total: about 31% By the end of December 2014, as a % of the season total: about 48% By the end of December 2013, as a % of the season total: about 34% By the end of December 2012, as a % of the season total: about 36% That looks very consistent with the last few years. And looking forward to what we might expect in January, here’s how much snowfall I have recorded during previous seasons in that month. (The numbers in brackets show the total observed snowfall in each season until the end of January.) January 2023: 332cm (685cm) January 2022: 325cm (717cm) January 2021: 387cm (797cm) January 2020: 224cm (516cm) January 2019: 285cm (702cm) January 2018: 305cm (899cm) January 2017: 152cm (443cm) January 2016: 303cm (608cm) January 2015: 257cm (806cm) January 2014: 461cm (859cm) January 2013: 443cm (979cm) All of this data (and much, much more!!! buy now!!!) is available on the Snowfall Analysis and Seasonal archive pages of this report. See the tabs at the top of the report. Some thoughts Last year was the first winter season since the Japanese government eased restrictions on inbound tourism after covid. That announcement was too late for some people to arrange a visit, but many did! I am sure the local economy was/is very thankful to see a return of all those visitors. With no restrictions on international travel and some very excite exchange rates for many visitors, there seems to have been a mad rush to get to Japan this year. (And not just for skiing and snowboarding). I can understand why as someone who loves Japan and knows how wonderful it is. However, that means popular places are busy. (But you know that, right?) For some, a popular and busy place is worth it for the lure of Niseko powder. So, let’s hope Nature delivers on that score throughout the season. Many of you might remember how various businesses had staffing problems last season. While I don’t know exactly how that is panning out this season (as I am not involved in any ‘business’, thank the toast gods!), staffing and labour shortage issues remain Japan-wide. I have heard of some relatively high wages being paid here in Niseko, so hopefully, it is less of an issue than last year. I’ll probably hear more about that as the peak season approaches and everywhere gets extremely busy. I said this last year, but with the very handsome prices being asked, it is not unreasonable for visitors to expect a premium service all around. I don't know if staffing issues are the reason, but I have been disappointed with what I feel are inconsistent daily updates to the official Niseko United website so far this year. On some days, I genuinely don't know how to present numbers that I sense haven't been updated (even if the timestamp has). So much so that I question whether to include such information in my reports. Presumably, the ski areas themselves are making such updates, so I would hope they might give this kind of thing more importance. Anyway, here’s to a snowy and powdery January! ------------------ Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -6℃, no snowfall, calm and good visibility. Moiwa 800m: -7.7℃, SW2.7m/s, no snowdrifts, good visibility. Mikaeri 764m: -12℃, calm, good visibility and light dusting of new snow. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -6.8℃, SSW9.6m/s (max 20m/s at 4am). Hanazono#3: -5.7℃, SSE3.2m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape WSW7m/s, Kamui cape W25m/s, 1014hPa, 1.3m waves. Snowdrifts generated by wind-blown snow are accumulating rapidly in south facing slopes due to strong SW winds. These new slabs of snow are extremely unstable and the avalanche risk is very high. Do not consider riding high elevation slopes such as the Backbowl today. An avalanche accident occurred in Mt Yotei yesterday. This was caused by the previous strong NE storm, but many accidents have also occurred in Mt Yotei after SW storms. Consider any slopes to be dangerous when strong winds create snow-smoke. There is a firm wind-affected layer of snow under the fluffy new snow in the tree-runs. Please be careful. Moiwa gate#8 is not open yet due to lack of snow. A guide had his lift-pass confiscated in gully#3 of Higashi-One. Please respect the Niseko Rules. You might lose your job. This Rule was born out of necessity and is not here just to restrict the freedom to ski. Have a nice day. ------------------ Individual ski area information for Tuesday 2nd January 2024 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 200cm (-10cm since yesterday) - Base: 75cm (-10cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (until 7:00pm) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Holiday Number 1 pair (until 7:00pm) - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------------------ Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 150cm (-5cm since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (-5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (until 7:00pm) ------------------ Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 7:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ------------------ Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 132cm - Base: 95cm Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm) - Village Express (until 7:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair ------------------ Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair - Number 2 pair - Quad ------------------ Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024. Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri. Niseko Now 2023-2024 season Data as of Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 385cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 37 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 18cm 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. 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