Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 29cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . The season has officially begun, with two lifts running to access the upper part of Lotte Arai. The word is that Akakura Kanko will do something similar tomorrow as well. We still just haven't gotten the amount needed at base to get more things going lower down; I also heard that Alpen Blick (Ikenotaira) is going to extend its opening from the planned opening tomorrow. It is snowing, though, although it remains light. One of the senior members of our neighborhood reminded me of one year, around 40 years ago, when there was zero snow on the ground on January 1 — but that it started falling soon after, and when it did, two meters came down within a few days. Ah, the rich tapestry that is mountain weather.... Resort opening and operations Akakura Kanko: Saturday, December 17 Akakura Onsen: Saturday, December 10 (didn’t happen) Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Saturday, December 17 Myoko Suginohara: Top 350cm, bottom 270cm; -7° Saturday, December 24 Seki Onsen: Mid-December Kyukamura RunRun: Saturday, December 17 Tangram Ski Circus: Saturday, December 17 Madarao Mountain Resort: Saturday, December 17 Lotte Arai Resort 110cm, 5.7° Arai Gondola and Zendana Lift only; Happy Place freeride zone open Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Saturday, December 24 Myoko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 29cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 8cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 29cm reported on 8 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 11cm Snowfall at base this season 52cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Greetings from Hakuba. There's a whole lot going on this morning and a bit difficult to take it all in! I'll try to report as much as possible, both in this top report text and in the lists below. First of all, fresh snow since yesterday. Here's the snowfall that is being reported by ski areas: - Hakuba Goryu: 15cm (upper) - Hakuba 47: 10cm (upper and lower) - Hakuba Happo-one: 14cm (Usagidaira); 25cm (top of gondola) And we have a good new layer down at base areas. More lifts and runs are opening up. That's what fresh snow does for you! The Hakuba Iwatake ski area is opening this morning. The base of Hakuba 47 is now open. In fact, Hakuba 47 is all-of-a-sudden 'almost all open', which is great to see. More of Happo-one is also open this morning, with the Kurobishi and Usagidaira runs now available. The top Tsuga Number 2 pair at Tsugaike joins the party too. Jigatake has delayed opening until tomorrow. Predicted snowfall from Saturday night through Monday is looking very promising. I think that's all the main news for this morning... long story short, things are shaping up nicely at the moment. (phew)... --------------- ABLE Hakuba Goryu Part open Lifts: - Telecabin gondola - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 3 pair Courses: - Panorama - Grand Prix Official snow depth: - Upper: 105cm - Toomi: 10cm Notes: The top Panorama and Grand Prix courses are open. Access to and from the open ski run is via the Gondola. ------- Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park Mostly open Lifts: - All lifts open (except Line D, which usually only opens when the Gondola is closed) Courses: - All courses apart from the lower area of R-1, R-4 - Tree Riding Zones are not open Official snow depth: - Upper: 110cm - Base: 50cm Notes: Hakuba 47 opens up proper this morning with most runs also available. ------- Hakuba Happo-one Part open Lifts: - Happo gondola - Alpen quad - Panorama pair - Kokusai Number 3 pair - Kurobishi Number 2 quad Courses: - Kurobishi - Usagidaira - Panorama Official snow depth: - Kurobushi (1680m): -- - Usagidaira (1400m): 100cm - Nakiyama (800m): -- Notes: A few mid-mountain areas are now open. Access to and from the open areas is via the Gondola. ------- Tsugaike Mountain Resort Part open Lifts: - Eve Gondola - Tsuga Number 2 pair - Han-no-ki pair lift Courses: - Han-no-ki Official snow depth: - Upper: 105cm - Base: 24cm Notes: The top area of Tsugaike is open. Access to and from the open area is via the Gondola. Hakuba Now 2022-2023 season Data as Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 52cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 52cm 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 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 100cm Snowfall at base this season 236cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Geto. Suitably ridiculous amounts of snow have been falling here since my report. Get this. The ski area is reporting 120cm of fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours! And there is 1m on the ground below too. And it is still snowing and due to continue until this evening. It might be getting more windy too. For the moment though, lifts are scheduled to open but there may be some delays due to the amount of snow. If you venture out there, try not to disappear in all the snow. (But seriously, be careful, it's a bit wild out there). All courses are open and the quad is moving. All of a sudden, so it seems, it's full-on season. Snowfall statistics (as reported by the ski area): New snowfall (top): 120cm Current snow depth (top): 200cm Current snow depth (base): 100cm Total season snowfall so far at top: 281cm Lifts: - Number 1 Gondola - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 pair lift - Quad lift Courses: - All courses open Geto Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 236cm Number of days snowfall observed 11 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 100cm (on 16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 236cm observed 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 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 21cm Snowfall at base this season 148cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It has been snowing moderately this morning but the rate of precipitation has eased and is now coming down lightly. There is no wind. The temperature is -9c and the high will go up to -7c. There is a good amount of fresh snow to report, 21cm at base level. There is no change to report in lift operations or open courses today. Visibility is okay and may improve further during the day. Furano Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 148cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 2cm reported on 1 day December 2022 snowfall 146cm 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 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 3cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . The gondola was on hold at the start of the day yesterday due to wind, eventually opening at around 10am. (That should not be a problem this morning). Well, it's only one day (in early season) but it is still hard not to feel really disappointed this morning. The snow that we were expecting yesterday just didn't really happen. The ski area reported 5cm of snow on upper slopes yesterday lunchtime, but no more this morning. Down below, there is a dusting at Hikage (which is close to where I am and my measurements), but none down to the Nagasaka Gondola and below. We start the day with mostly cloudy skies but it is quite bright, and cold too. I think I am going to ignore forecasts for a bit and just see what nature decides to serve up. (They still tell us to expect snow). The ski area remains open with the top Yamabiko D course available and accessed via the Nagasaka Gondola. Fresh snowfall since yesterday morning (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 5cm - Uenotaira: - - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 30cm - Uenotaira: - - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Lifts: - Nagasaka Gondola (8:30am-3:30pm, last one down at 4:00pm) - Yamabiko Number 2 quad (8:40am-3:40pm) Courses: - Yamabiko D (1,250m) Notes: Only the top Yamabiko D course is open. You need to ride the Gondola to get there and back. Nozawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 3cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (3rd December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 3cm 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 Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 198cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Snow and wind. The wind has been blowing the snow around and generally being rather pesky. So it's one of those days when the amount of snow might vary more than usual in different areas. But in my trusted measuring point (and backup place), I have measured 12cm of fresh snow since yesterday. There will be more than that on the mountain. The wind is still an issue this morning. Hopefully, it might calm down, but at the start of the day the Annupuri Gondola is on hold. They are opening their Jumbo Number 2 pair in place of the gondola. A few other lifts are running at reduced speed. Forecasts are looking good for the snowfall to continue. There's no sign of any kind of prolonged let-up, bringing clear and sunny skies. It would seem like the snow is just going to keep on piling up. I'm sure we can cope. We'll find a way to put up with it. Early season cheaper tickets are available until tomorrow. From Saturday, it's 'regular season'. (I'd expect the ski areas to feel the need to be as open as possible for that). ----- Yesterday, I was talking to the SnowJapan guys about various stuff. One thing I found interesting. Apparently, here we are in the middle of December, but about 80 ski areas have still not updated their information since March or April. There are even a handful of ski areas that have already opened, but their official website is still stuck in 2021-2022 mode. How mad is that? Here in Kutchan, we have a small town-operated ski area behind the station called Asahigaoka. It probably plans to open around Christmas, as usual. However, the information page online still says 'thank you for visiting', with the last update in March. I know how things can get a bit hectic in the run-up to a season. Still, I often wonder, doesn't anyone think it might be an idea for a ski area to update its message and information, perhaps sometime in the autumn. Even if it's simply to say they plan to open this year. --------------- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base: -8℃ at 6am, strong wind, 20cm snowfall in 12h. Moiwa 800m: -13℃, strong west wind, 100cm snowdrift, 30cm snowfall in12h. Annupuri 1000m: -15℃, W15m/s, significant snowdrift development. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW15m/s, Kamui cape NW17m/s, 1006hPa, 3.4m waves. The winter type weather pressure system continues and the strong wind and snow are blowing over both mountain and ocean. Wave heights over 3.5m at sea and over 20m/s westerly wind at 1000m causing rapid snowdrift development. Wind slabs (snowdrift) on the leeward side continue to grow, over 150cm in 12h. The developing snowdrifts are prone to avalanches as they can collapse easily within themselves regardless of the presence of a weak layer. Do not stimulate the cornices and knolls generated on the leeward side. Avalanche risk is extremely high today. This condition will continue till Saturday as the heavy snow and winds calm down. There are large amounts of good somewhat heavy snow in the treeruns. Beware of hitting trees. The snow in the treeruns is a little tricky to handle. You can’t beat the tree. Shirakaba course at Moiwa is expected to open this Saturday. Gates are not open yet. Have a good day. --------------- Individual ski area information for Thursday 15th December 2022 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing. 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: 25cm - Base: 25cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 160cm (+20cm since yesterday) - Base: 70cm (+10cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (8:30am-3:10pm) - Ace Number 3 pair (8:40am-3:30pm) - King Number 3 quad (8:40am-3:15pm) Courses: - Jumbo - Rinkan - Center - Shirakaba - Beginners access - Holiday - Kokutai - Green - Alpen - Sennoki - Family ------- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 120cm (-5cm change since yesterday) - Base: 90cm (+17cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 (8:30am-3:00pm) - Hanazono Number 2 quad (8:30am-3:00pm) - Hanazono Number 3 quad (8:30am-3:00pm) * on hold at the start of the day - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (8:30am-4:00pm) Courses: - All main courses are now available ------- Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm * perhaps not updated by the ski area? - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 115cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 85cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola (8:30am-3:15pm) * on hold at the start of the day - Dream Number 1 quad (9:00am-4:30pm) - Jumbo Number 1 quad (8:30am-4:00pm) Courses: - Utopia - Silver - Shirakaba - Paradise - Family - Dynamic - Junior - Beginner course by the Dream lift ------- Niseko Village Ski Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm * perhaps not updated by the ski area? - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 90cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 60cm (no change since yesterday) Lifts: - Niseko Gondola (8:30am-3:00pm) * on hold at the start of the day - Village Express (8:30am-4:00pm) - Community Chair (8:30am-4:00pm) - Banzai Chair (8:30am-4:00pm) ------- Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm) - Number 2 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm) Niseko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 198cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (2nd December) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 181cm reported on 14 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 22cm Weather overview Cloud and sun Wind W Temperature - Visibility Good Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . PM update Tangram Ski Circus has also announced that it will not be able to open on Saturday as planned. Original morning report Good morning from Madarao. I waited until Madarao made their announcement, and they just have... unfortunately, it will not be able to open as planned on Saturday... more snow is required. There's no word from Tangram yet, but I imagine it will be the same message. There was some snow yesterday, but not so much. And this morning we actually have some sunshine. Hmmm. Snow is forecast again tomorrow and them more so around the weekend, so hopefully the delay will only be a short one. Madarao Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 22cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 7cm (on 12th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 22cm 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 Madarao. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 37cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Yesterday was a wild at times. Very cold night too. This morning it is calm. For the moment we have blue sky and some cloud, though more snow is due later on today. Possible heavy snow at the weekend (Sunday) if forecasts are to be believed. They were a bit off for nearby regions yesterday... No confirmed news just at the moment but I would expect that more areas will be opening up at the weekend. Will try and find out in time for the report tomorrow. Shiga Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 37cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 7cm (11th December) November 2022 snowfall 6cm reported on 2 days December 2022 snowfall 31cm reported on 10 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 24cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . The big snow that could have happened really didn't. Or hasn't yet. Looks nice, the ground is covered, the trees are frosted — but there isn't enough on the ground yet for the snowcats to do their grooming thing. Let's see what happens; the wind is kind of coming from the west right now, but looks like it will go more northerly over the coming days. More like what we want to see. Those winds blowing across from Vladivostok. Lots of openings starting tomorrow and on Saturday, but looks like things are going to get pushed back unless those northwest winds deliver fast! Planned opening dates 2022-2023 season Akakura Kanko: Saturday, December 17 Akakura Onsen: Saturday, December 10 (didn’t happen) Ikenotaira Onsen Alpen Blick Saturday, December 17 Myoko Suginohara: Top 350cm, bottom 270cm; -7° Saturday, December 24 Seki Onsen: Mid-December Kyukamura RunRun: Saturday, December 17 Tangram Ski Circus: Saturday, December 17 Madarao Mountain Resort: Saturday, December 17 Lotte Arai Resort Friday, December 16 Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Saturday, December 24 Myoko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 24cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 8cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 24cm reported on 7 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 23cm Snowfall at base this season 41cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Yesterday was a good day for snowfall. We had that big number being reported by Happo-one. 47 were talking about 40+cm yesterday afternoon and all of a sudden, some snow depth numbers are in 3 digits. It was snowing pretty good in base areas too yesterday. I had to move over 20cm off my car yesterday evening. Conditions should be a lot of fun out there this morning. This morning the Alps Number 3 pair at Hakuba Goryu, along with their Grand Prix course, are opening up. I would expect a lot more terrain/lifts to be open from the weekend (and perhaps sooner), and I will have more such information to report tomorrow. A few ski areas are hoping to open tomorrow and Saturday, and I'll be gathering news on those today. Sanosaka was originally planning to (re-open this season) on 16th December, but is now saying that it plans to open on 23rd December. Oops, almost forgot. While the snow has eased off for now (there is even a little sunshine in places), more snow is forecast into next week. This is good. * I'm taking out the reported snowfall numbers from the table below this morning - they are too confusing. --------------- ABLE Hakuba Goryu Part open Lifts: - Telecabin gondola (8:15am-3:30pm) - Alps Number 1 pair (8:30am-3:45pm) - Alps Number 3 pair (8:35am-3:45pm) Courses: - Panorama - Grand Prix Official snow depth: - Upper: 95cm - Toomi: 10cm Notes: The top Panorama and Grand Prix courses are open. Access to and from the open ski run is via the Gondola. ------- Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park Part open Lifts: - Line E (8:35am-3:40pm) Courses: - R-8 upper area Official snow depth: - Upper: 115cm - Base: 45cm Notes: The base area of Hakuba 47 is not yet open. Access to the open Line E lift is via Hakuba Goryu. ------- Hakuba Happo-one Part open Lifts: - Happo gondola (8:30am-4:00pm) - Panorama pair lift (8:40am-3:30pm) - Kokusai Number 3 pair (8:40am-3:30pm) Courses: - Panorama Official snow depth: - Kurobushi (1680m): -- - Usagidaira (1400m): 86cm - Nakiyama (800m): -- Notes: The mid-mountain Panorama course is open. Access to and from the open ski run is via the Gondola. ------- Tsugaike Mountain Resort Part open Lifts: - Eve Gondola (8:00am-4:00pm) - Han-no-ki pair lift (8:20am-3:30pm) Courses: - Han-no-ki Official snow depth: - Upper: 98cm - Base: 24cm Notes: The upper Han-no-ki course is open. Access to and from the open ski run is via the Gondola. Hakuba Now 2022-2023 season Data as Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 41cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 41cm 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 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 24cm Snowfall at base this season 136cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Geto Kogen. Nearly 25cm of fresh snow at base this morning and the ski area reporting a very Geto Kogen-like 36cm higher up. It is a good morning. It was snowing all day yesterday, but it was windy too. It's still snowing and thankfully the wind isn't an issue. The forecast is also looking... snowy. Yappari! From today the A1, A2 and A5 runs are groomed. Snowfall statistics (as reported by the ski area): New snowfall (top): 40cm Current snow depth (top): 135cm Current snow depth (base): 70cm Total season snowfall so far at top: ?cm Lifts: - Number 1 Gondola - Number 1 pair lift Courses: - A1-B1 - A1, A2, A5 are groomed Geto Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 136cm Number of days snowfall observed 10 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 25cm (on 14th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 136cm observed on 10 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 13cm Snowfall at base this season 186cm Posted on Wednesday 14th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Thankfully, yesterday does seem to have been a blip. It's never good to have rain in the winter months; hopefully, if we are lucky, we won't get much more (or any). I was meeting some friends at Hirafu, and the conditions weren't great. It was not the best of introductions to Niseko for them, but things should be improving again quickly. We have had another 10+cm or so of fresh snow overnight at base, and it is definitely colder this morning. As I write this, it is snowing quite heavily, and visibility is low. Consistent snowfall is forecast for the coming few days at least. Wind will also probably be an issue later on today. In fact, at the start of the day, the Hanazono gondola is on hold (though it is unclear if that is wind-related). Other lifts all seem to be opening as planned for the moment. There are some interesting numbers coming in from the ski areas this morning (below). Some of them seem somewhat contradictory. But they are what they are, and even when they seem odd, they are always interesting information. Well, I think so, anyway. Remember, pinches of salt! --------------- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base: -5℃, light wind, 20cm snowfall in 12h. Moiwa600m: -6℃, light wind, good visibility, 20cm snowfall with some snowdrift development. Annupuri1000m: -6℃, N9m/s, 20cm snowfall in 12h with 1m snowdrifts in some spots. Coastal data: Benkei cape N9m/s, Kamui cape NW9m/s, 1011hPa, 2.0m waves. The atmospheric pressure gradient got steeper during the night and a 18-20m/s snowstorm picked up. The isobars then spread out early in the morning and the wind calmed down. The storm is forecasted to pick up again after 10am. A notable layer will form due to the large temperature difference from yesterday’s rain layer and will likely become a surface slab avalanche trigger layer in the future snowpack. Snowdrifts forming around knolls at 800m elevation could potentially reach 150cm thickness as the storm picks up and the weather forecast looks promising for the avalanche risk to rise dramatically in the next 24h. Heavy wind-affected snowdrift slabs that develop under 20+m/s winds are structurally unstable. They collapse within themselves and can easily trigger an avalanche. Riding leeward gullies’ sidewalls during a storm is very dangerous as wind-slabs can slide widely and instantly, and run very fast for long distances. The snow might be good, but the gates aren’t ready to open yet. Please respect the Niseko Rules. --------------- Individual ski area information for Wednesday 14th December 2022 The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources. Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing. 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: 20cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 140cm (+20cm since yesterday) - Base: 60cm (-15cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) (8:30am-3:10pm) - Ace Number 3 pair (8:40am-3:30pm) - King Number 3 quad (8:40am-3:15pm) Courses: - Jumbo (lower area ungroomed) - Rinkan (lower area) - Center - Shirakaba - Beginners access - Holiday - Kokutai - Green - Alpen (lower area ungroomed) - Sennoki - Family ------- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 28cm - Base: 13cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 125cm (+23cm change since yesterday) - Base: 73cm (-4cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Hanazono Number 1 (8:30am-3:00pm) - Hanazono Number 2 quad (8:30am-3:00pm) - Hanazono Number 3 quad (8:30am-3:00pm) - Hanazono Symphony Gondola (8:30am-4:00pm) * on hold at the start of the day Courses: - All main courses are now available ------- Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 115cm (+6cm since yesterday) - Base: 85cm (+5cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Annupuri Gondola (8:30am-3:15pm) - Dream Number 1 quad (9:00am-4:30pm) - Jumbo Number 1 quad (8:30am-4:00pm) Courses: - Utopia - Silver - Shirakaba - Paradise - Family - Dynamic - Junior - Beginner course by the Dream lift ------- Niseko Village Ski Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 90cm (-20cm since yesterday) - Base: 60cm (-25cm since yesterday) Lifts: - Niseko Gondola (8:30am-3:00pm) - Village Express (8:30am-4:00pm) - Community Chair (8:30am-4:00pm) - Banzai Chair (8:30am-4:00pm) ------- Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort Lifts: - Number 1 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm) - Number 2 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm) Niseko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Wednesday 14th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 186cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (2nd December) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 169cm 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 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