Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 32cm Snowfall at base this season 285cm Posted on Saturday 19th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. After the relentless snow of the previous few days, it was good to be able to have a kind of break from it yesterday. Everyone was busy with lots to do before the next snow started. We could also enjoy a period of beautiful blue skies and sunshine in the late morning yesterday. The winter mountains look amazing. Temperatures rose to around 2C around mid-day and by late afternoon it was generally cloudy once again. (There were even reportedly a few spots of rain in places as evening approached). Interesting to see that in the place where 38cm was measured at 9am yesterday morning, untouched since then, that had halved to less than 20cm by 4pm. Overnight the snow has returned and as of 9am another 31cm has fallen. It is currently snowing heavily so adding up quite quickly. We are expecting snow through the day today and tomorrow, perhaps even into Monday. Clearer skies are due from Tuesday for a few days. Today is the first day of the season for a bunch of ski areas in Yuzawa and nearby Minamiuonuma. With the current conditions, information is patchy in places this morning - many people are still in 'coping' mode. For the moment as much information as possible has been updated on the list below, and it will be checked each morning. Things will calm down, but until then, sorry for the holes in information. Ski areas seem to generally be opening rather cautiously, rather than full-on from the get go. Not exactly sure why that is, but perhaps they are still managing the snow, mindful of the more heavy snow that is due over the weekend and of course safety issues. Whatever the reason, we will surely be seeing them fully open before long. ----- As of 3pm yesterday 670 vehicles were still stranded on the Kanetsu Expressway in the Minamiuonuma region and some people were facing a third night in their cars or trucks. Hopefully that situation will have been sorted this morning. There have also been a number of reports of injuries from people moving and dealing with snow. Whether you are skiing, snowboarding, moving snow or just going about normal things... take care. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open except Edelweiss) - North Area (Broadway & Swan open) Official snow depth: - 210cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Operating lifts: - Sunrise Express - Tyrol Triple - Kanko Number 3 Express Official snow depth: - Central: 250cm - Base: 200cm Joetsu Kokusai Open lifts & courses: - 7 lifts and 11 courses Official snow depth: - 170cm Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair lift - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift - Kagura Number 1 romance pair lift - Kagura Gondola Courses open: - Kagura main course - Technical course - Gondola course - Family course - Gondola line course Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm - Base: 140cm - The opening of Tashiro Area has been delayed Kandatsu Snow Resort Operating lifts: - A, B, C, E lifts Courses open: - Most courses open Official snow depth: - 200cm Naeba - Official site down at time of writing Maiko Snow Resort Operating lifts: - Gondola - Okusoeji quad - Okusoeji pair Courses open: - 11 courses in top area and Nagamine area Official snow depth: - 250cm (top) Yuzawa Kogen Operating lifts: - Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway - Cosmos - Kogen Express Yuzawa Nakazato Operating lifts: - Number 2 romance lift - Number 3 romance lift Official snow depth: - 220cm Nakazato Snow Wood ----- Other planned opening dates: Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 19th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 285cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 285cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 38cm Snowfall at base this season 253cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. The snow continued yesterday and though it was not quite as heavy and persistent as it had been the previous few days, there's another measured 38cm to add to the report this morning. The snow has eased off now and there are actually some clearer skies above us at the moment and some sunshine breaking through. We are due more snow though from tonight, with potentially heavy snow again tomorrow and perhaps into Sunday. Many locals are going to be taking the time today during this calmer weather to prepare for more incoming snow. As of 5pm yesterday the official snow depth number being put out there by Yuzawa Town was 182cm, and that is apparently over 7 times normal for this time in the season. It is of course still very early season and usually around the middle of December the snow is either just about starting to fall or there isn't any yet, so the numbers will clearly vary greatly at this stage. Still, that is an impressive statistic. (Remember, you can check out our own observed snowfall numbers from previous seasons in this report - see below and the Snowfall Analysis page. Been too busy to look but can imagine that those graphs look crazy!) I can't recall a year when ski areas have been delaying their opening due to heavy snow, but that is what is happening this time round with a few of them. Here's the latest ski area info as of this morning: Kagura and GALA Yuzawa are part open. Joetsu Kokusai is open from this morning. They have 5 lifts running with 8 courses open. The Tashiro Area of Kagura was planning on being open from today, but the heavy snowfall has delayed that opening. No confirmed news beyond that just now. Naeba is planning to open tomorrow. They will have lower areas open. There is of course enough snow on the upper mountain, but they are currently dealing with it. After delaying opening (originally due today), Maiko Snow Resort and Ishiuchi Maruyama are both now planning to open from tomorrow. There are a few other ski areas planning on opening tomorrow. More ski area updates tomorrow. ----- It was only after the report was posted yesterday that we heard the sad news from Kagura on Wednesday. A snowboarder lost their life up there after being buried in deep fresh snowfall. Apparently the lady who lost her life yesterday was not 'out of bounds'; there was just so much snow with low visibility. It might be easy for us all to get caught up in all of the excitement of heavy snowfall, but we need to remember to always be super extra careful in these conditions. There has been some serious disruption to traffic over the last few days. Trains have been affected and around 1000 vehicles have been stranded on the Kanetsu Expressway - apparently there was 16km of stationary vehicles either way starting around the Yuzawa and Shiozawa Ishiuchi exits, with some now stuck in the same place now for more than a day. Snow was falling through the day yesterday while the vehicles were stationary, so they were getting even more snowed-in making the situation even more difficult. The Self Defence Forces were called in to help check on drivers caught up in this awful situation and provide some water and food. A section of Route 17 was also closed yesterday as snow was being cleared. Authorities have been asking people to avoid travelling by car around Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma unless really necessary until the situation improves. Please do check on the transport/traffic situation before coming. Just a general comment: if you are driving and plan to be here when there is a chance of a snowstorm, please be sure to be prepared. That means having the right tyres, arriving in snow country with enough gasoline, some food and drink, and something to wipe and move snow from the car. All of these things are helpful if you find yourself stuck like all those folk affected at the moment. What a week it has been. Looking forward for everything to calm down so we can then perhaps turn thoughts more to fun snow stuff. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Sociable quad lift - Phaeton pair lift Courses open: - Melody - Entertainment - GiGi - Snow Enjoyment Park Official snow depth: - 230cm Joetsu Kokusai Open lifts & courses: - 5 lifts and 8 courses Official snow depth: - 180cm Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift - Mitsumata Number 2 romance pair lift - Kagura Number 1 high speed life - Kagura Gondola Courses open: - Kagura main course - Gondola course - Family course - Gondola line course Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm - Base: 140cm ----- Unclear - Kagura (via Tashiro) Saturday 19th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Maiko Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 253cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 253cm 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 76cm Snowfall at base this season 215cm Posted on Thursday 17th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Since my report yesterday for the most part we have had more of the same. Snowfall, heavy at times, piling up quickly. It looks like the Yuzawa region and Minakami region in northern Gunma have been in the bullseye of this particular snow storm and clocking up the biggest numbers. Many mentions on the national news even. Apparently, yesterday, a new 24 hour record of snowfall was observed in Yuzawa Town - 113cm. And at that official measuring point in town, 113cm is about 6 times the amount usually there at this time of the year. As of 9am this morning our measuring point shows 74cm of snowfall since 9am yesterday, with a similar situation to the north in Minamiuonuma. Snow observed on Sunday: 0cm Snow observed on Monday: 1cm Snow observed on Tuesday: 42cm Snow observed on Wednesday: 96cm Snow observed on Thursday: 76cm That's an incredible 215cm of snowfall observed since Monday morning. At town level! Forgive the lack of talk of skiing or snowboarding just yet! That's because we're still very much in survival and coping mode. Once everyone involved locally gets on top of the situation and things calm down, then we can concentrate on enjoying it. More snow is due over the coming days, possibly even through into early week, and clearer skies are forecast from Tuesday onwards. It does look like we might be seeing more sensible numbers from now on But could there be a bigger contrast with the start of last season? I don't think there could. You couldn't make it up, as they say. ----- On to news from ski areas this morning: GALA Yuzawa are open and added their Gigi course. Kagura are reporting another 80cm of snowfall this morning (since yesterday). But they also only have the Family Course at Mitsumata and the Gondola course open this morning. I'm guessing that is as they simply cope with the snow. But wouldn't be surprised to see them close on fully open soon. Maiko Snow Resort were planning on opening tomorrow (Friday) but they have delayed that opening - as they also deal with all the snow. Ishiuchi Maruyama and Joetsu Kokusai appear to still be planning on opening tomorrow. If you plan to drive here or come by train, check the traffic news. There has been and possibly may be various disruption in these circumstances. OK, back to the shovelling... ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Sociable quad lift - Phaeton pair lift Courses open: - Melody - Entertainment - GiGi - Snow Enjoyment Park Official snow depth: - 180cm Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift - Kagura Gondola Courses open: - Gondola course - Family course Official snow depth: - Top: 200cm - Base: 120cm ----- Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Joetsu Kokusai - Maiko Snow Resort *DELAYED* - Kagura (via Tashiro) Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 17th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 215cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 215cm 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 96cm Snowfall at base this season 139cm Posted on Wednesday 16th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. A very good morning to you from Yuzawa. It has been a wild and crazy few days in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma with some very heavy snowfall... real 'Snow Country' style snowfall. Last night on the local news it was saying that there was 74cm snow depth in Yuzawa town as of 5pm and that had increased to 82cm by 8pm (and it was 99cm in Tsunan Town at 8pm), and they were forecasting 60cm of snowfall by 6am this morning. A lot of time was spend shovelling snow yesterday afternoon and making way for the snow that was due overnight. When I measured the snow yesterday morning I put a ruler in the snow. This morning at 9am that same ruler shows 138cm. So it was 42cm yesterday and 138cm now - an increase of 96cm. After a walk around the area and conversations with a few friends, while there is less in some areas and actually more in others I think that is representative and it is also there in front of our eyes, so it's what goes on the report for today. The Kagura resort are reporting 80cm of fresh snowfall since yesterday. More courses at Kagura are opening this morning (details below) and they are also going to be opening the Tashiro Area from Friday. GALA Yuzawa is also planning on opening this morning. Joetsu Kokusai are going to be opening on Friday too. With all this snow, there's something of a happy panic going on as everyone gets to grip with it all. Ideally a base builds up, so this sudden heavy snow needs some management and there are of course safety issues too. But I think it's probably safe to say that the ski areas that were planning to be open from Friday and Saturday will all be able to. The snow is going to continue to pile up over at least the next few days and quite possibly into early next week. Almost scary to think how much more we might get... definitely exciting, though. Faith has been restored! :) ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Sociable quad lift - Phaeton pair lift Courses open: - Melody - Entertainment - Snow Enjoyment Park Official snow depth: - 120cm Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:30am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Gondola course - Family course - Technical course - Giant course - Panorama course Official snow depth: - Top: 120cm - Base: 80cm ----- Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Joetsu Kokusai - Maiko Snow Resort - Kagura (via Tashiro) Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 16th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 139cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 139cm 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 42cm Snowfall at base this season 43cm Posted on Tuesday 15th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. What a difference just one day can make! It was snowing yesterday. More steadily than heavily for the most part, but it went into a higher gear overnight and there is a lot of snow around this morning. Yesterday morning Kagura were reporting 20-30cm of fresh snow by around lunchtime... and the forecast was for 50-80cm by the end of today. They haven't yet put out a number this morning, but I am guessing it might be around 50cm. Perhaps even more (but they might well hold back on the crazy numbers!) The local forecast was also saying that we were on for about 40cm of snowfall overnight last night, and I'd say they got that about right. Down in town areas there is around 40cm of snow on the ground; there is more than that in places. Same just to the north in Minamiuonuma. And more being added as the snow continues. There is a lot of shovelling going on this morning, but I doubt many people are complaining. All of this precious snow! GALA Yuzawa is going to be opening from tomorrow, Wednesday 16th December. No word from Kagura yet on expanded operations or the opening of Tashiro but that might be imminent. The snow is due to continue over at least the next few days. If that happens, you can expect the various ski areas to be able to open on their planned opening dates. Looks like we are going to be on for a very good start. Interesting point: Last season these Yuzawa Now reports observed a total of just 27cm in the whole of the month of December (and 39cm as a total for the season until the end of December). In just one day we have already blown through that number. It is still very early and much can happen in a season. But this definitely feels more like the 'normal' that we were yearning for last time round. Fingers crossed. ----- Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:30am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Family Course - Official snow depth: 80cm (top); 40cm (base) ----- Currently part open - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Tomorrow - GALA Yuzawa As soon as there is enough snow - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Tuesday 15th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 43cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 42cm (15th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 43cm 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1cm Posted on Monday 14th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. I had flashbacks of last season overnight when I was woken by heavy rain on the roof. But it has turned to snow and the forecast is still looking really good. (Phew!) So let's go back to yesterday. Wet down below but snow falling at higher elevations and it creeping down to nearly town level. It was good to see the GALA Yuzawa and Yuzawa Kogen webcams turn white. This morning Kagura is reporting 10cm of snowfall, and they are opening up some more courses - the Gondola Line and Family Course are now available. When I got up this morning it was still raining down here in town, but it has gradually been turning into snow. As you can see from the images below, there's a thin covering of snow on the slopes of NASPA Ski Garden which is close to town. I was just over there and it is snowing quite nicely now. There's no snow sticking yet along Route 17 as you can see from the webcam image below but I imagine within a short time it will be looking whiter. I am celebrating the first snow down here with a 1cm in this report to get us going. The forecasts are still looking great for snow throughout the week. By tomorrow we should be into proper decent snowfall and the numbers will begin piling up (as my friend said in another report this morning). With the snow arriving and a lot going on, there will be a lot to check each morning so apologies if the reports are a bit later in the coming days. From today, additional photos are being added to the report which will hopefully give you a good idea of how things are going. All, of course, with permission. See below. ----- Coronavirus in Japan Compared to many countries, Japan appears to have managed to keep its number of (official confirmed) cases relatively low and without any major ‘lockdowns’. Still, coronavirus has overwhelmingly been the major issue of the year and has had a profound impact on many people and businesses. Hospitality and tourism are two of the areas that have been hit particularly hard hit, with the Go To campaign providing a certain amount of relief for some. In recent weeks, the number of confirmed cases announced in the country every day has increased to around 2500-3000, in what is being labelled the third wave. Let us all hope that we might soon see a decrease in the numbers again and do what we can to help that happen. How ski areas in Japan are dealing and measures being taken Correct information on coronavirus is of course important and we encourage everyone to keep up to date with information from trusted sources. We also encourage people intending to visit a ski area in Japan to take on all relevant advice and requests being asked of visitors. While there is understandably a sense of unease along with a bunch of unknowns as we start the winter season, most ski areas in Japan plan to be opening and are implementing various measures to try and minimise the potential for infections. Actual measures and requests vary but generally include limiting the number of people riding gondola cabins, ropeways and multiple-person ski lifts; wearing masks and face coverings; using hand sanitisers; practising social distancing and avoiding queues. Some ski areas are resting various ski lifts for the season, though in many such cases that will not affect the amount of terrain that is available to skiers and snowboarders. There are a small number of ski areas that have decided to not open at all this winter – some citing coronavirus, some citing a lack of snowfall in recent years… some mentioning both. ----- Kagura Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (7:30am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (7:45am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (7:45am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 romance lift (9:00am until 3:00pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:00am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Gondola Line - Family Course - Official snow depth: 40cm ----- Planned opening dates for ski areas in the region Below are the planned opening dates of ski areas in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma. All are of course subject to change. Currently part open: - Kagura (via Mitsumata) As soon as there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa (earliest Tuesday) - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Monday 14th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 1cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 1cm (14th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Friday 11th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. There's no fresh snowfall to report this morning. Some rain last night and this morning there is a lot of cloud around but some blue sky and we are expecting a high of around 10C in town. Kagura were going to open their Tashiro Area from tomorrow, but that has been delayed until there is enough snow. GALA Yuzawa were also hoping to open tomorrow, but that has also been delayed. GALA are saying that they will not be opening tomorrow through Monday. So if enough snow arrives before then, Tuesday is the first possible day open for GALA Yuzawa. So for today and the weekend we will probably still just have that one (or two over the weekend if they do the same as last weekend) run available. Expect the Mitsumata Ropeway to open at 7:30am tomorrow morning. Things can change very quickly and it is still looking like next week will see a major change. I can't remember one time through the whole of last season when we had big snowmen (meaning 'snow/heavy snow') all lined up on the local forecast for 3+ days, along with cold conditions. But that is what we have right now, starting Monday, with further snow beyond that through the end of the week. If that happens, we should be set. It has to actually happen, of course, but... Status: excited! ----- A 1,500m run at Kagura resort remains part open: Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 high speed lift (8:30am until 3:00pm) Courses open: - Kagura main course (1,500m) - Official snow depth: 40cm ----- Currently part open: - Kagura (via Mitsumata) As soon as there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa (earliest Tuesday) - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Itsukamachi Late December - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 11th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 0cm Posted on Wednesday 2nd December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Hello and good morning from Yuzawa. Today is officially the first day of the ski season in the town. That's because Kagura is opening this morning. Hurray! Kagura is reporting about 5cm of snow up top, a temperature of -3C, a NE wind (3m/s) and cloudy skies. They're also quite excited about some kenchinjiru soup on offer by the Mitsumata Ropeway base at 2pm. As are we. Wikipedia elaborates - kenchinjiru is a Japanese vegetable soup prepared using root vegetables and tofu. Oh yes, you can ski or snowboard too! If you can wrench yourself away from the delights of the root vegetables and tofu soup, here's how the skiing bit works... From the top of the Mitsumata Ropeway you need to walk about 230m over to the quad lift, take that lift and then walk about 170m to the pair lift, and then go down to the Kagura Gondola. That gondola takes you over to the Kagura area. On the way back a similar amount of walking is required. Down in town it's cloudy with a temperature of around 4C and we might get to see some sunshine during the day. The 3 month forecast was being talked about on local television yesterday again; we are set for a 'normal' kind of winter. That is apparently based on the past 30 years. So we can take that as good and encouraging news. I hope they are right! ----- Operating lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:00am until 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad lift (8:00am until 2:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 romance lift (8:15am until 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:15am until 3:45pm) - Kagura Number 1 romance lift (8:30am until 3:15pm) Edited: sorry, I posted the incorrect time for the Kagura lift in my original report. I was probably a bit over-excited about the soup... Courses open: - Kagura main course - 600m in length, 30m wide ----- Opening from today (Wednesday 2nd December): - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Saturday 5th December 2020 - Joetsu Kokusai Saturday 12th December 2020 - GALA Yuzawa - Kagura (via Tashiro) Friday 18th December 2020 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 19th December 2020 - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Thursday 24th December 2020 - Iwappara - NASPA Ski Garden Friday 25th December 2020 - Ipponsugi - Muica Snow Resort - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Saturday 26th December 2020 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku Details currently unconfirmed - Itsukamachi - Mt Granview Closed during the 2020-2021 winter season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 2nd December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 0cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 0 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 0cm November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 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 34cm Snowfall at base this season 418cm Posted on Saturday 26th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Snow was falling for a lot of yesterday - heavily at times - but there was more snow overnight. This morning Ishiuchi Maruyama are reporting 30cm and Maiko Snow Resort are reporting 40cm. The observed snowfall number this morning (since last report) is 34cm. As expected, it looks like many ski areas are now either mostly or fully open. Please see the details below where we've tried to add as much as we can. It is still snowing this morning but some nearby regions are getting some clearer skies and sunshine so perhaps we will get some of that later. It does actually appear to be starting to clear and it is quite bright in places. Tomorrow through Tuesday the forecast is for a mix of cloud and sun but from Wednesday the snow should be back - and it might be heavy snow again. Snow is likely through into the New Year. ----- At the end of December 2019, this report had observed a total snowfall for the season of just 39cm. So far, this year has delivered 418cm. I wonder if we can 'beat' December 2014, when 559cm was recorded during that month? I spent a large part of the day trying to save a few trees. Even though they had been prepared for winter with various supports, the supports weren't enough under the weight of the snow from last week. Hopefully they will survive. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 240cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - Central area: 280cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad - Summit quad Official snow depth: - 250cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - Mostly open now Official snow depth: - 210cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Kagura is now mostly open - Tashiro-Kagura connection open Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 210cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Kandatsu is now mostly open - All lifts operating - All courses apart from Milky Way and Super Antares are available Official snow depth: - 230cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Maiko is now mostly open - 10 lifts operating and 24 courses open Official snow depth: - 280cm (top) - 180cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 9/14 courses open - 3/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 260cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 255cm Naeba Lift & course info: - 12 of 22 courses open - 6 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Yuzawa Nakazato Operating lifts: - Number 1 high speed lift - Number 2 romance lift - Number 3 romance lift - Number 5 romance lift Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 26th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 418cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 418cm reported on 11 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 419cm Posted on Sunday 27th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. In terms of weather yesterday ended up feeling a bit strange, to this reporter anyway. There was that good snowfall overnight mentioned in the report yesterday. It did continue to snow beyond the early morning but didn't amount to much at all in terms of new cm. And then later in the day/evening there was some spots of rain (and heavier rain in some places around the region), though it didn't feel particularly warm though. By night time, in the same place where 34cm had been measured in the morning - and untouched since then - that was down to less than 15cm. This morning there is no fresh snowfall to report from overnight. As of 8:30am there's a lot of cloud and some blue sky... it feels like it might well be clearing up leaving us with a fine day. Today will be a bit warmer, with a high temperature of around +5C expected in town and perhaps a bit warmer still tomorrow. It should be fine weather to be out and about, for sure, but warmer than we would like for the snow. Luckily, we still have lots of it! Come Wednesday though, it's all going to switch back to full-on winter once again with temperatures dropping considerably and some potentially heavy snowfall over a few days. Local news are even calling it a possible re-run of what we got about a week ago. It does look like we can expect a lot of snow over the period from Wednesday through Friday, and perhaps beyond that. If you plan to be here over the New Year, be prepared. ----- Mt Granview open this weekend! Once they have cleared the snow. Maybe lunchtime today, according to a phone call to check! ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 290cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas with 20 courses open Official snow depth: - Central area: 260cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad - Summit quad Official snow depth: - 220cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 240cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Kagura is now mostly open - Tashiro-Kagura connection now open Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 210cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts and courses open Official snow depth: - 210cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - Maiko is now mostly open - 10 lifts operating and 26 courses open Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 170cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 11/14 courses open - 4/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 270cm (top) - 180cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 230cm Naeba Lift & course info: - 12 of 22 courses open - 6 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 27th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 419cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 419cm reported on 12 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 34cm Snowfall at base this season 453cm Posted on Thursday 31st December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. It took a while to happen, but that rain yesterday morning turned into snow in the afternoon, and this morning we have a good layer of fresh snow. 34cm can go onto our report. We were actually expecting more, but there's no complaining! Here's the headlines from around the ski areas this morning: Kagura are reporting 60cm of snowfall, though only the Mitsumata Area of Kagura is open. The Tashiro Area is closed. The Kagura Number 5 Romance lift was due to open from Friday (1st January) but they are delaying that until when the weather calms down. Only the lower areas of Naeba are open this morning due to strong winds and visibility on the mountain. The top quad at Iwappara is closed as they deal with 50cm of snowfall overnight. Maiko Snow Resort are reporting 30cm and Muikamachi Hakkaisan are reporting 40cm. It is still snowing now, though not heavily just at the moment. Snow clouds should be over the region and delivering through at least Saturday so we are going to be getting more. That's it for 2020... 453cm of snowfall observed in town so far this season. That is the most since the 2014-2015 season, ridiculously much more than last season and considerably over average. How will the rest of the season shape up? Let's hope we get good consistent snow through the season. Wishing you a safe New Years Eve. See you tomorrow as we start 2021. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 230cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas open Official snow depth: - Top: 200cm - Base: 110cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad Official snow depth: - 225cm Joetsu Kokusai Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 210cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Just Mitsumata Area open this morning due to weather conditions Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts operating and all courses open Official snow depth: - 190cm Maiko Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All areas now open Official snow depth: - 250cm (top) - 150cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lift & course info: - 11/14 courses open - 4/4 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 220cm (top) - 120cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - All lifts are operating and all main courses open Official snow depth: - 215cm Naeba Lift & course info: - Large part of Naeba terrain available - 12 of 22 courses open - 5 of 12 lifts operating - Dragondola between Naeba and Tashiro open Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen and base areas now open Official snow depth: - 240cm (top) - 180cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 240cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 31st December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 453cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 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 68cm Snowfall at base this season 521cm Posted on Friday 1st January 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa and Happy New Year. Forgot to mention yesterday: at the end of December 2020 the Yuzawa Now reports had observed more snowfall (453cm) than we had observed during the entire 2019-2020 season (425cm). Wow. Anyway on to today and the snow continues. This morning Kagura are reporting 40cm of snowfall; Maiko are reporting 30cm. Those numbers seem on the low side. At our main measuring point, last night at 6pm there has been an extra 26cm since the morning report. It was cleared off and this morning as of 9am there's another 42cm on there. That makes 68cm since yesterday morning. And it is still snowing. Kagura is open up to the Kagura Number 1 romance pair lift this morning, Tashiro area closed. The top area of Yuzawa Kogen is closed as well this morning. It feels like we are back into a kind of 'coping' mode as we once again deal with large amounts of snowfall in a short period of time. It looks like the peak of this snowfall may well have been overnight last night but snow will probably continue through tomorrow and possibly heavy at times. ! ----- New Year message from SnowJapan The 2020-2021 winter season seems to have got off to a good start in many mountainous regions of Japan, with some areas enjoying some very heavy snowfalls. That is of course very encouraging to see. Even if you are having to look on from afar, we’re sure you will be glad to see a return to a more ‘normal’ pattern to the snowfall this winter. So 2020 is now behind us and we surely all hope that 2021 will be an all-round better year for everyone. If you are unable to be here... We miss you and are sorry that you can’t be here, but hope that you will be able to visit Japan in the not too distant future; and that 2021-2022 season will be open for everyone to enjoy. If you are here... Let’s all keep doing everything we can as individuals to try and keep the current situation under control. Ski areas around the country are doing their best to encourage visitors to wear face coverings, keep distance and minimise contact with guests outside their own group. Helping out in that way is surely a very small price to pay to get to enjoy the snow. One thing we have noticed this season is people mentioning how they are appreciating everything that extra bit more this year. Being thankful for the good things can’t be a bad thing. We will continue to do what we can to remain positive and genki as we cover this season. Wherever you are right now, stay safe, stay strong and take care. SnowJapan wishes you all the best for 2021. ----- GALA Yuzawa Operating lifts: - Diligence Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Coach pair lift - Phaeton pair lift - Victoria quad lift - Chariot pair lift - Tilbury triple lift Courses open: - Central Area (all open) - Northern Area (all open except Roman Holiday B and Snow Park) - Downhill course (Falcon) Official snow depth: - 260cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Lift & course info: - All lifts and all areas open Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm Iwappara Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair parallel - Number 2 pair - Number 3 pair - Central quad Official snow depth: - 240cm Joetsu Kokusai Official snow depth: - 220cm Kagura Lifts & course info: - Just Mitsumata Area open this morning due to weather conditions Official snow depth: - Top: 280cm - Base: 230cm Kandatsu Snow Resort Lift & course info: - All lifts operating and all courses open Official snow depth: - 200cm Maiko Snow Resort Official snow depth: - 280cm (top) - 190cm (base) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: - 220cm (top) - 120cm (base) NASPA Ski Garden Lift & course info: - Large part of Naeba terrain available - 12 of 22 courses open - 5 of 12 lifts operating Official snow depth: - 230cm Naeba Lift & course info: - Unconfirmed Official snow depth: - 110cm (top) - 90cm (base) Yuzawa Kogen Lift & course info: - Kogen area closed this morning Official snow depth: - 240cm (top) - 180cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Lift & course info: - Mostly open Official snow depth: - 250cm Yuzawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 1st January 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 521cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 96cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 453cm reported on 13 days January 2021 snowfall 68cm 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