Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 245cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . It really blew last night along with a good new covering refreshing all tracks. Viz comes and goes so be wary of coming across snow drifts or sudden deep powder. Wind is pretty strong from mid level up and, as anticipated, the Sky Cable, Zao Ropeway 2nd stage and Kurohime Quad are not running The Chuo bowl main run has thick powder but hard to see. Strong wind on the lifts as well. It's a choice of thicker powder higher up but can't see too well or be lower down. It is also noticeably colder higher up. Omori would be a good place to be with the Hyakuman being in fog and wind. Similarly, Sunrise is nice as is higher Uwanodai. Note that the Shinkansen from Yamagata is not running probably due to snow drifts. It will snow for the rest of the day providing another decent layer and through tomorrow when the wind should drop so hopefully better conditions. Zao Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base 245cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 41 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (on 24th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 162cm observed on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 83cm observed on 18 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 392cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Strong winds are present today currently between 10-15m/s. The resort will not operate the Kitanomine Gondola due to the wind. Light snow is falling and there is a dusting on the ground. Visibility doesn't look to be great due to the combination of snow, wind and cloud. Kitanomine Zone open Furano Zone open Furano Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base 392cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 43 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (15th and 18th December) November 2022 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2022 snowfall 256cm reported on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 134cm reported on 19 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 62cm Snowfall at base this season 373cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . No need for letters of complaint! Here's how much fresh snow was being reported by the ski area at 3pm yesterday afternoon (snowfall since 7am): - Yamabiko: 25cm - Uenotaira: 18cm - Hikage: 20cm - Nagasaka: 20cm - Karasawa: 15cm And here's how much they are reporting this morning (since 3pm yesterday afternoon): - Yamabiko: 70cm - Uenotaira: 32cm - Hikage: 75cm - Nagasaka: 75cm - Karasawa: 40cm Adding those up comes to: - Yamabiko: 95cm - Uenotaira: 50cm - Hikage: 95cm - Nagasaka: 95cm - Karasawa: 55cm Wow, that is a lot of snow. I'm not seeing 95cm myself, rather I am still seeing just over 60cm. It has been windy, so the snow has been blowing around a lot. Perhaps that makes it one of those days when you will see more or less in different areas. Just as one more number to add to the party, as of 8am the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) station, near Karasawa, is reporting 53cm over the last 24 hours. Regardless of all the different numbers: there is a lot of fresh snow around, which is totally excellent news. It is still snowing and more is due across the coming days and maybe more of the heavy stuff as we enter the weekend. The two gondolas and top lifts (Yamabiko, Uenotaira, Paradise) are closed this morning due to strong winds on the mountain. Fresh snowfall reported by the ski area at 7am (since yesterday morning): - Yamabiko: 95cm - Uenotaira: 50cm - Hikage: 95cm - Nagasaka: 95cm - Karasawa: 55cm Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 230cm - Uenotaira: 170cm - Hikage: 150cm - Nagasaka: 145cm - Karasawa: 90cm Planned night skiing (Nagasaka quad): - Every Saturday until 25th March 2023 Nozawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base 373cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 28 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 62cm (25th January) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 101cm reported on 13 days January 2023 snowfall 272cm reported on 15 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 55cm Snowfall at base this season 453cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . The snow finally hit in local style (but sounds like it was a Myoko day in a lot of places around the country!). Cold, wind, drifts.... Seems like the resorts on the east side of the area may have gotten more snow, but we did get 55cm at the base of Akakan. And it's still crazy, even if the snow isn't falling all that heavily right at the moment. The wind is really variable, with the direction swinging all around the compass. There's still a heavy snow warning for Niigata, so let's see what happens; the prediction is still for 90cm or so. More or in total, I'm not sure.... Stay warm! It is still really cold, and when that wind comes up things get super nippy. Backcountry? Forget it! Heavy snow, too much, and possibly really unstable. Akakura Kanko: 190cm, -13° Late start today, planned for 9:30 below, 10 for the higher lifts. Gondola closed Akakura Onsen: 220cm, -8° Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Top 175cm, bottom 160cm; -12° Myoko Suginohara: Top 150cm, bottom 75cm; -13° Mitahara No. 3 (top) lift closed Seki Onsen: 320cm, -15° Kyukamura RunRun: 200cm, -8° (yesterday’s report? Dated 1/24....) Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort: 170cm, -10° Madarao Mountain Resort: 185cm, -70° Lotte Arai Resort 294cm, -3.9° Kurohime Kogen Snow Park 110cm, -16° Myoko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 453cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 55cm (25th January) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 134cm reported on 19 days January 2023 snowfall 319cm 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 31cm Snowfall at base this season 275cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning from a cold and snowy Hakuba. First up, new snowfall being reported by ski areas: Hakuba Cortina: 50cm+ Hakuba Iwatake: 30-35cm Hakuba 47:20-30cm Hakuba Goryu: 20cm From those numbers it seems the northern regions got more snow... though we have all got a very nice new layer. My number of 31cm is coming to you from close to the base of Happo-one as of 9am, with most of that coming mid afternoon through last night. And it is snowing again this morning with more lined up on the forecast in the coming week or so. I like it. Less pleasing is that wind is an issue this morning. At the start of the day and a large part of Happo-one is closed - they have just a few base lifts are moving. Only lower lifts at Tsugaike are open too. Goryu and 47 appear to be opening. --------------- Total snowfall accumulation this season so far (in upper areas) [The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated every morning] ABLE Hakuba Goryu: 356cm Hakuba 47: 293cm Hakuba Happo-one: 307cm Hakuba Cortina: 345cm Tsugaike Mountain Resort: 379cm --------------- ABLE Hakuba Goryu Reported snowfall: Upper: 20cm (Alps Daira) Official snow depth: Upper: 230cm Toomi: 100cm Hakuba 47 Reported snowfall since last night: Upper: 30cm Base: 20cm Official snow depth: Top: 240cm Base: 130cm Hakuba Cortina Top: 50cm+ Official snow depth: 200cm Hakuba Happo-one Reported snowfall: Kurobishi: ?cm Usagidaira: 9cm Top of Riesen quad: 10cm (social media) Nakiyama: 10cm Official snow depth: Kurobishi: 235cm Usagidaira: 109cm Nakiyama: 75cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Reported snowfall: Mountain Side: 35cm Village Side: 30cm Official snow depth: Mountain Side: 110cm Village Side: 70cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Official snow depth: 230cm Jigatake Official snow depth: 60cm Kashimayari Official snow depth: 100cm Tsugaike Mountain Resort Reported snowfall: Upper: ?cm Official snow depth: Upper: 205cm Lower: 90cm White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka Official snow depth: 80cm Hakuba Now 2022-2023 season Data as Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 275cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 28 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (25th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 164cm reported on 17 days January 2023 snowfall 111cm 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 Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 903cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning. We got snow through the day yesterday, with the wind really picking up in the afternoon. From early on today it is very cold, windy and snowy - with limited visibility. The gondola and quad lift are not opening at the start of the day, so it's limited operations and of course the tree run courses are not accessible. Wind might remain through tomorrow but hopefully conditions might be improved. Snowfall statistics (as reported by the ski area): New snowfall (top): 30cm Current snow depth (top): 290cm Current snow depth (base): 195cm Total season snowfall so far at top: 1107cm Lifts: - Number 1 Gondola ON HOLD - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 pair lift - Quad lift ON HOLD Courses: - Limited availability this morning due to lifts on hold and weather conditions Geto Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 903cm Number of days snowfall observed 46 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 100cm (on 16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 578cm observed on 25 days January 2023 snowfall 325cm observed on 21 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 19cm Snowfall at base this season 585cm Posted on Tuesday 24th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here A good 20cm or so of beautiful snow this cold morning, and it's coming down at quite the rate as I write this. There's no question that the snow should be great this morning. There's other stuff going on though. Visibility just at the moment looks limited, in some places at least, and it appears that wind is going to be affecting lifts from the start of the day. As of 8:30am, a few lifts are not opening as planned, including the gondola at Annupuri. Possibly just delays. Snowfall should continue and wind is going to get stronger. Expect possible disruptions over the next few days. And if you are venturing out in all this, take extra care. ----- Just one more (last) note to add to what I said yesterday. An example. It snows 3cm in the morning, after I have posted my report. It stops snowing. By the time I write my report the following morning, that 3cm of snow has disappeared from my measuring point. But that 3cm will still be reported. (Because it existed, right?). I am indeed a bit nerdy about these things, but that is due to my doing these reports every morning and I always want my information to be correct/accurate. But there are so many important and beautiful things in life to enjoy, like toast, and other things to deal with. This kind of thing is hardly top of the list of things to worry about. Let's just enjoying, I say. We got it very good. :) --------------- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base -8C, 20cm snowfall from pre-dawn and poor visibility. Moiwa 800m: -11.8C, WNW15.2m/s, stormy. Annupuri 1100m -14.7C, NW10.6m/s. Mizuno no Sawa: -13.0C, N11.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono: -14.4C, NNE8.5m/s. Hanazono#3: -11.8C, N7.3m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape N13m/s, Kamui cape NNW12m/s, 1007hPa, 2.9m waves. The atmospheric pressure gradient steepened after 2am, resulting in stormy conditions at the coast and the mountains. Snowdrifts have largely developed. The snowpack at Moiwa 800m this morning broke at 60cm depth from Jan 23rd low-pressure snowfall layer. No matter the presence of a notable weak layer, new soft-slabs formed in leeward knolls and steep slopes are highly likely to slide. The avalanche risk is very high today in all aspects and altitude. Do not attempt dropping into out of bounds steep slopes whether the chairlifts/gondola may start running or not. This information is issued for the sake of all resort users. Pay attention to the weather and snowfall transition. The snow in the treeruns is not bad but visibility is low, beware of hitting trees. Stay away from gully bottoms. Have you switched your beacon on? Today’s condition is completely different from yesterday’s. Have a nice day. --------------- Ski area information for Tuesday 24th January 2023 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day, weather permitting. Official snow depth numbers in brackets show the change since previous report. ** WIND AFFECTING LIFTS THIS MORNING ** Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 25cm - Base: 25cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (+5cm since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing] - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing] - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola - Holiday Number 1 pair - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 16cm - Base: 16cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 240cm (+1cm change since yesterday) - Base: 187cm (-2cm change since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] ------- Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 185cm (+15cm since yesterday) - Base: 160cm (+10cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad [* open until 7:30pm for night skiing] - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair [* normally open on weekends and holidays] - Jumbo Number 4 pair ------- Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 170cm (+5cm change since yesterday) - Base: 155cm (+5cm change since yesterday) Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] - Banzai Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] - Wonderland Chair ------- Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 pair lift - Quad lift Niseko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 24th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 585cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 52 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 22cm (2nd and 16th January) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 336cm reported on 27 days January 2023 snowfall 232cm reported on 20 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 230cm Posted on Tuesday 24th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . A better morning than anticipated. It is clear all round although cloud is now drifting on and off the summit. Slight wind about. Top tip for those here over the next few days: make the most of the tops and Kurohime Quad as it is highly likely that many top lifts will stop tomorrow. Very high winds are expected. It should start clouding up during the day with light to moderate snow starting to fall and through tomorrow. Temperatures are also going to plummet drastically so wrap up. Slopes are nice! Zao Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 24th January 2023 Total snowfall at base 230cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 40 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (on 24th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 162cm observed on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 68cm observed on 17 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 17cm Snowfall at base this season 389cm Posted on Tuesday 24th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . There has been a good dump of snow overnight which is around 17cm in the Kitanomine village. Cloud is hovering from above halfway up the resort. Visibility on the lower half of the mountain looks good, upper mountain will likely be fair visibility until the cloud lifts. It is a cold morning currently at -16c, the high will be -8c. Kitanomine Zone open Furano Zone open Furano Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 24th January 2023 Total snowfall at base 389cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 42 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (15th and 18th December) November 2022 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2022 snowfall 256cm reported on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 131cm reported on 18 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 883cm Posted on Tuesday 24th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Yesterday ended up being a day of cloud and snow at times. It is cloudy at the moment early morning but snow is due later on. In fact, there should be snow every day right through into next week. Typical Geto! Tomorrow in particular is going to be cold COLD with some periods of heavy snow. Wind might well cause some problems. Seems like lots of Japan is going to be getting snow over the next few days, not just the mountains. Snowfall statistics (as reported by the ski area): New snowfall (top): 26cm Current snow depth (top): 260cm Current snow depth (base): 175cm Total season snowfall so far at top: 1077cm Lifts: - Number 1 Gondola - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 pair lift - Quad lift Courses: - Normal courses open - Tree run courses all open apart from Alta, Extreme and Cascade. Geto Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 24th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 883cm Number of days snowfall observed 45 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 100cm (on 16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 578cm observed on 25 days January 2023 snowfall 305cm observed on 20 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 5cm Snowfall at base this season 566cm Posted on Monday 23rd January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It's not super clear and bright as I write this, but the sun is shining through in places and visibility is fine. Perhaps it will get clearer as the morning goes on. It is nice and cold again, so it should be a good morning. I have measured 5cm of fresh snowfall since my last report, with that all coming in yesterday. Ski areas are reporting more than that so apparently there was more higher up. Still, snorkels are not required just yet. Forecasts are all still showing some very cold temperatures and snow across the next week. Tomorrow looks like it should be the starting point for all of that! ----- Last week someone wrote in asking about snow depth numbers and snowfall, wondering why they sometimes seem odd and even conflicting. It is a good question. It is an issue I often think about as I check all the information every morning for this report. So, first of all, it is important to know that the only original number (ie. created by me) on this report is my observed snowfall number. That is how much snow I have observed since the previous report, as seen with my own eyes. In today's report, that number is 5cm. All the other numbers in this report originate from the ski areas. I check with official ski areas websites every morning. After having some toast, I usually put this report together between 8:00am and 8:30am, so that is when they are checked. And I updated the data manually. The snow depth 'change since yesterday' number is not published by ski areas (though it is based on their numbers). That one is basically me doing a bit of adding and subtracting to show you the difference between the numbers day by day. My basic mathematics skills go far enough for me to do that. ;) Ski areas sometimes don't update their info promptly (or even at all) on some days. Niseko Village, in particular, seems to have neglected the new snowfall number in recent days, hence why I took it out of the report. Some ski areas also only seem to work in units of 5cm - i.e. 0cm, 5cm, 10cm, 15cm, 20cm, etc. - which I always find a bit odd. (These things are not just a Niseko thing, by the way, but common with Japanese ski areas). It is definitely the case that official snow depth data can often seem at odds with fresh snowfall rates. So why do snow depths remain unchanged when there has been more than 20cm or more since the previous day? New snowfall often does not result in increased snow depth data. There are a bunch of reasons for that, one being that snow depth is usually taken from a groomed run rather than untouched snow that hasn't been compacted. Snow depth is perhaps important information at the beginning of a season. Still, once the season gets going, I think the most important number is the observed snowfall every day. That's how much fresh snow we are getting. And that number should be considered a minimum because there is often more snow at higher elevations than at the base. Basically, I wouldn't dwell too much on snow depth numbers on a day-by-day basis. I don't think they are totally useless. Their value is probably more about looking (from one step back) at the general shape of the season. And perhaps comparing with previous seasons. That's what I think, anyway. I hope I haven't complicated things even further by trying to explain them! --------------- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base -10C, no new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m: -12.1C, WNW7.1m/s, snowdrift development, good visibility. Annupuri 1100m: -15.2C, WNW5.4m/s. Mizuno no Sawa: -13.7C, N4.3m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -15.2C, N5.4m/s. Hanzono#3: -12.4C, N2.5m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape NNW5m/s, Kamui Cape WNW4m/s, 1024hPa, 2.3m wave. The atmospheric pressure gradient is mellow and the ocean and mountain weather is calm with around 10m/s westerly wind above 1000m elevation. Cold air continues to flow in. General avalanche risk is low based on observations and data. Please listen to the patrol’s advice when you go outbounds. Do not stay at the bottom of the gullies. If the avalanche occurs from deeper layers, it will wipe out the entire valley. Avalanches are natural phenomenon but it won’t be an accident if no one gets caught. NIED’s avalanche experiment starts today at the Moiwa bowl. Please cooperate. The purpose of this experiment is to study the vulnerability of the development process of snowdrifts (slabs), which is said to be one of the causes of avalanches. Snow is good today. Stay safe. Most accidents can be prevented if we take precautions. --------------- Ski area information for Monday 23rd January 2023 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day, weather permitting. Official snow depth numbers in brackets show the change since previous report. 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: 305cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Family quad [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing] - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing] - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola - Holiday Number 1 pair - King Number 3 quad - King Number 4 - Swinging Monkey ------- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 16cm - Base: 16cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 240cm (+1cm change since yesterday) - Base: 187cm (-2cm change since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad - Hanazono Symphony Gondola [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] ------- Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 170cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 150cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad [* open until 7:30pm for night skiing] - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair [* normally open on weekends and holidays] - Jumbo Number 4 pair ------- Niseko Village Ski Resort Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 165cm (+10cm change since yesterday) - Base: 150cm (+10cm change since yesterday) Lifts: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] - Banzai Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing] - Wonderland Chair ------- Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 pair lift - Quad lift Niseko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Monday 23rd January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 566cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 22cm (2nd and 16th January) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 336cm reported on 27 days January 2023 snowfall 213cm reported on 19 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 372cm Posted on Monday 23rd January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is a beautiful morning with the early morning sun starting to hit the resort. It is a cold one at -16c. The high for the day will be -7c. Cloud is expected to increase later in the morning. Not a lot of snow to report at 2cm, but still nice to be getting a fresh layer. Snow is possible this evening. Kitanomine Zone open Furano Zone open Furano Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Monday 23rd January 2023 Total snowfall at base 372cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 41 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (15th and 18th December) November 2022 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2022 snowfall 256cm reported on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 114cm reported on 17 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com