Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 6cm Posted on Saturday 17th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . The ski area has reported 8-13cm of snowfall on the upper areas since yesterday morning (5cm of that during the day yesterday). And this morning, more of the ski area is open. The Skyline connecting pair is going to be moving and so is the Yu Road (connecting the ski area with the village). Not much has been happening down at base yet, though, with just a dusting since yesterday. It's a bit foggy early on around base with a lot of low lying cloud, but that should clear and there should be some sun this morning. Already looks lovely up on the top runs. Forecasts still look good for potentially heavy snow tomorrow and Monday, hopefully starting by tonight. Naski, our favourite bright green, skiing and Nozawa-loving vegetable, is talking to the snow gods right now. It's going to happen. I can feel it. Fresh snowfall since yesterday morning (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 8cm - Uenotaira: 13cm - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 35cm - Uenotaira: 35cm - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Lifts: - Nagasaka Gondola (8:30am-3:30pm, last one down at 4:00pm) - Yamabiko Number 2 Four quad (8:40am-3:40pm) - Yamabiko Four quad (8:45am-3:30pm) - Uenotaira Four quad (8:40am-3:40pm) - Skyline pair (8:40am-3:50pm) - Yu Road (8:00am-4:40pm) Courses: - Yamabiko C (800m) - Yamabiko D (1,250m) - Uenotaira (2,000m) - Uenotaira Family Lane (800m) - Kokenashi AB (200m) Parts of the top section of the ski area are now open. You need to ride the Nagasaka Gondola to get there and back. Nozawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 17th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 6cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (3rd and 16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 6cm 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 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 25cm Weather overview Fine Wind W Temperature - Visibility Good Posted on Saturday 17th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Morning from Madarao Kogen. Today should be the first day of the season on this mountain, but we need to wait a little longer. We are starting this morning with some blue sky and sunshine, but snow is due sometime later on. Forecasts still look good for decent snowfall in the next few days. If that happens, the ski areas should be able to open early week. (That is just my thoughts, not some kind of announcement by the ski areas). Bring it on! Madarao Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 17th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 25cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 7cm (on 12th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 25cm 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 54cm Posted on Saturday 17th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . The recent snowfall is allowing more and more to open. Lots is changing and rather than talk about them here, please check out the list below. I will be updating that as best I can each morning, and there has been a lot of changes today. Good to see more ski areas opening today (Hakuba Cortina, Hakuba Iwatake, Hakuba Norikura and Jigatake), and also that the Toomi run at Goryu is now open, meaning you can now ride back down to base there. Good stuff! Some nice weather too this morning - lots of cloud still but some blue sky too. It should be snowing again by tonight, and I should have more to report tomorrow morning and possibly some heavy snow tomorrow. --------------- ABLE Hakuba Goryu Part open Lifts: - Telecabin gondola - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 3 pair - Toomi quad Courses: - Panorama - Grand Prix - Technical - Super - Champion Dynamic - Woody - Toomi Official snow depth: - Upper: 110cm - Toomi: 10cm Notes: You can now ski down from the top area to Toomi base. ------- Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park Mostly open Lifts: - All lifts (* Line D 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 yet Official snow depth: - Upper: 110cm - Base: 50cm Notes: Most of the regular ski runs are now available. Tree Run Zones will open at a later date. ------- Hakuba Happo-one Part open Lifts: - Happo gondola - Alpen quad - Panorama pair - Kokusai Number 1 pair - Kokusai Number 3 pair - Kurobishi Number 2 quad Courses: - Kurobishi - Usagidaira - Panorama Official snow depth: - Kurobushi (1680m): 120cm - Usagidaira (1400m): 102cm - Nakiyama (800m): -- Notes: Access to and from the open area is via the Gondola. ------- Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Part open Lifts: - Noah Gondola - 3 Sen North - 4 Sen East Courses: - View C - North - East Official snow depth: - Upper: 70cm - Base: 15cm Notes: Part of the Mountain Side is open. Access to and from the open area is via the Gondola. ------- Hakuba Cortina Part open Lifts: - Number 2 quad - Number 4 pair Courses: - Ikenoda - Hiedayama 1 - Hiedayama Rinkan - Itabira Official snow depth: - Upper: 80cm - Base: 30cm ------- Tsugaike Mountain Resort Part open Lifts: - Eve Gondola - Tsuga Number 2 pair - Han-no-ki pair lift Courses: - Han-no-ki - Course down to gondola mid-station Official snow depth: - Upper: 99cm - Base: ?cm Notes: Access to and from the open area is via the Gondola. Hakuba Now 2022-2023 season Data as Saturday 17th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 54cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 54cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 205cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It sure feels cold this morning. I went outside to measure the snow for this report and decided to come back quickly. It's the wind making it feel biting cold. The rather wild weather continues with a strong wind likely to cause some problems this morning. At 8:30am, the Annupuri gondola is on hold; other lifts appear to be moving. Tomorrow will hopefully be a bit calmer all round, but the snow probably won't ease off for long, with more due as the new week starts. Floodlit night skiing is due to start on our mountain tomorrow. As far as I am aware, that will happen as planned. The top lifts are not yet open, but I don't expect it to be too long before we hear more about that. A few more runs at Hirafu have been added to the 'open' list this morning. If you are here - be careful out there! --------------- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base: -9℃, light winds, 10cm snow in last 12hrs. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW20m/s, Kamui cape WNW14m/s, 1010hPa, 3.2m waves. Elevation 1000m: -15℃ , W18m/s, snowdrift development. No other on mountain data available. The winter type weather pressure system continues with strong, cold westerly winds. Strong wind and snow persist on the seas and mountains. Although only a small amount of snow has fallen, snow drift growth has reached 2m. There is a high risk of avalanches on slopes above the 800m treeline where soft slabs have developed. From observation and data there is a possibility of over 60cm dry surface generated avalanches on West Ridge Back Bowl, Mikaeri Bowl, East Ridge cornice slope. These conditions will continue for some time still. Stay out of the valley bottoms today even if the lifts start running again. Avoid stimulating the leeward side of ridges, cornices or knolls all day tomorrow after the wind has dropped. The snow is good in the trees but a little heavy. Still low tide out there, be careful falling into creeks. The water is cold. Watch out for frostbite and hypothermia. Have a safe day. --------------- Individual ski area information for Friday 16th 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: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 175cm (+15cm since yesterday) - Base: 80cm (+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: - Family - Sennoki - Alpen - Super (upper) - Detour for beginners - Green - Furiko - Shirakaba - Center - Kokutai - Holiday - Rinkan - Jumbo ------- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 3cm - Base: 14cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 124cm (+4cm change since yesterday) - Base: 92cm (+2cm 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: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 125cm (+10cm since yesterday) - Base: 90cm (+5cm 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 - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 90cm (no change since yesterday) - Base: 75cm (+15cm 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) - Quad lift scheduled to open from tomorrow (Saturday) Niseko Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 205cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (2nd December) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 188cm 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 Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 41cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Moderate snowfall at the moment (nice big flakes too) and generally poor visibility with cold conditions. This should continue through the day. If we do get more snow today, I am guessing that more lifts might be open for the weekend. I can't find any confirmed news on that for the moment, though, so it remains my guess. Forecasts show snow clouds over the region through Monday and perhaps heavy snow at times. Shiga Kogen Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 41cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 7cm (11th December) November 2022 snowfall 6cm reported on 2 days December 2022 snowfall 35cm 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 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 5cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . More of the ski area is open from this morning, with both Yamabiko quads and also the Uenotaira quad scheduled to be operating. Details below. It is trying to snow! Whoever is on duty turning on the snow taps seems to be struggling to get them fully turned on, with just a modest amount coming through so far. But if forecasts are right, it will be Sunday/Monday when they can really open up those taps and the snow comes down Nozawa-style proper (ie. heavy snow). Let's have it! The ski area has reported 2cm up top since yesterday (1cm yesterday and 1cm this morning), and as of 7:30am there is a thin layer on the ground at base (1-2cm). Hopefully we will be getting more during the day today. Fresh snowfall since yesterday morning (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 2cm - Uenotaira: 1cm - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko: 30cm - Uenotaira: 30cm - Hikage: - - Nagasaka: - - Karasawa: - Lifts: - Nagasaka Gondola (8:30am-3:30pm, last one down at 4:00pm) - Yamabiko Number 2 Four quad (8:40am-3:40pm) - Yamabiko Four quad (8:45am-3:30pm) - Uenotaira Four quad (8:40am-3:40pm) Courses: - Yamabiko C (800m - Yamabiko D (1,250m) - Uenotaira (2,000m) - Uenotaira Family Lane (800m) Notes: Parts of the top section of the ski area are now open. You need to ride the Nagasaka Gondola to get there and back. Nozawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base 5cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 2cm (3rd and 16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 5cm 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 Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 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 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