Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 198cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . A break in the snow! Not to worry, though, because more is coming. Like tomorrow. Nice, because all the fresh needs a little time to settle (as I found yesterday, as I tried to get to a house to clear their driveway. To the waist. Hard going). Most all the resorts will be open tomorrow, and things look good, even though we don't have snow data yet from them. The figures from the two open resorts look really good, though... Akakura Kanko: Opening December 19 Akakura Onsen: 110cm, -2°C Ikenotaira Onsen: Opening December 19 Myoko Suginohara: Opening December 26 Seki Onsen: Opening December 19 Kyukamura RunRun: Opening December 19 Tangram Ski Circus: Opening December 19 Madarao Kogen: Opening December 19 Lotte Arai Resort 243cm, -0.1° Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Opening December 26 Myoko Ski Park: Closed this season Myoko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 198cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 72cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2020 snowfall 197cm 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 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 11cm Snowfall at base this season 125cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . More snow to report this morning, though less in quantity. The resort yesterday was reporting 10cm of snow during the day on top areas, with an additional 10cm overnight... so 20cm cover up top. Conditions should be really excellent there this morning. It's so exciting to remember that it is still the middle of December. :) This morning the snow is easing off and there are some breaks in the cloud and visibility is much improved. Might we even get some sun? That's not going to last though, as more snow is due from tonight and over the weekend. Perhaps heavy snowfall too. The Nagasaka Gondola is still not up and running today but the top area of the resort is once again available... via the Hikage Gondola. So you get that Gondola up to Uenotaira area and from there can get to the top Yamabiko lifts and runs. Taking the Gondola back down is also necessary. The power supply issues at Uenotaira have been fixed. Down below at base, you can also get from Nagasaka to Hikage via the Nasuki-go service. (Ah, Nasuki. Not mentioned that word yet this season - everyone's favourite bright green coloured skiing vegetable hasn't made much of an appearance yet. Probably waiting until the weekend when things are a bit calmer. But looking forward to seeing Nasuki). Anyway, if you plan on being here over the weekend double check on transport situation. You might have noticed that there are some serious issues going on over in the Yuzawa area in Niigata now with the Kanetsu Expressway basically snowed in. The Yuzawa Now report has more on that. Mind boggling amounts of serious snowfall over there in the last few days. Fresh snowfall recorded by the resort (since yesterday morning): - Yamabiko (1407m): 20cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 20cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko (1407m): 170cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 165cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Planned operating lifts: - Hikage Gondola - Yamabiko Four lift - Yamabiko Number 2 Four lift - Uenotaira - Nagasaka Triple lift - Yu Road Courses currently open: - Yamabiko (A-E) - Uenotaira Nozawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 125cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 56cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 125cm 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 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 Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 28cm Snowfall at base this season 311cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Morning from Geto Kogen. More snow this morning as it continues to pile up as Geto plans to get-o into full gear from tomorrow with 'regular' operations planned. (See what I did there?) Night skiing is due to begin from tomorrow too. A later than planned start to the season, for sure, but we're in very good shape. Official snow depth at top... 300cm! There seem to be delays in the update of some info as everyone deals with all the snow. Official non compacted snow depth (as reported by the ski area): Top: 300cm Base: 250cm Planned operating lifts: Number 1 Gondola Number 1 pair lift Number 2 pair lift Planned open courses (subject to change): A1-A5 Possibly more Geto Kogen Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 311cm Number of days snowfall observed 11 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 96cm (on 16th December) November 2020 snowfall 73cm observed on 3 days December 2020 snowfall 238cm observed 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 63cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . 6cm on the ground to report and we now have 5 ski areas open with Kashimayari and Hakuba Iwatake joining the party. Some strong winds affected lifts yesterday and I know for sure that Happo-one was closed in the afternoon, but we're back up and running today. We are forecast more snow later today through tonight and probably over the weekend. Heaviest due tonight, just in time for the weekend. Hakuba Cortina will be opening from tomorrow. If clearer weather is what you like, Monday onwards should see clearer skies. I wonder what it'll be doing for Santa's visit. Hakuba Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 63cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 63cm 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 14cm Snowfall at base this season 234cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. And yes, the snow continues. The ski areas themselves are this morning reporting 21-25cm of snow around base areas and 18-30cm on upper areas. The Niseko Avalanche Report is also reporting 40cm. I have just measured 14cm in my spot. (Thought there would be more, but that's what it says, so that's the number). Still, good to hear that there's another up-to-40cm on the mountain and conditions should be really great again this morning. There is indeed a fair number of people lined up waiting for the lifts to start up. Visibility is variable across the mountain but we are expecting the snow clouds to remain over the region today and beyond. It is going to be around Tuesday before we can expect generally clearer skies. Yesterday the upper part of the Super course and the Furiko courses were opened at Niseko Grand Hirafu. So we are gradually seeing more opening up and it will be interesting to see what changes the weekend may bring. Night skiing starts for the season here in Niseko from tomorrow. The Grand Hirafu, Village and Annupuri areas all offer floodlit evening operations until 8:00pm (none at Hanazono). I'll add more details on night skiing to the reports when I have it all checked and gathered. ----- I don't know how many of you read the other Now daily reports on SnowJapan, but may I suggest you check the Yuzawa Now report over the last few days? The Yuzawa area of Niigata Prefecture is traditionally used to very large amounts of snow, but it has been getting an absolute pounding this week. They have gone from having 0cm of snow to over 2m of it! In town!!!! That's just crazy. As much as I love getting large amounts of snow, I'm not sure if I want that much in such a short period of time. Almost scary. It was on the national news yesterday that 1000 vehicles have been stranded on the Kanetsu Expressway in that area - for more than a day now - and gradually they have been getting more snowed in as it continues to snow. If you remember, Niigata had an uncharacteristically poor season last year. So at least it is good to hear that they are back to getting to the kind of snowfall they expect. Gambatte, everyone. And take care in all that deep snow. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain Base Moiwa, Annupuri Base: -7℃, moderate west wind, 30 - 40cm new snow. Annupuri 1000m:-12℃, W15m/s, 100cm snowdrift growth. Hanazono 1000m:-12.6℃, W15m/s(10min max). Coastal Data. Cape Benkei: NW16m/s. Cape Kamui:WNW10m/s, 1014hPa, wave 2.3m. Kutchan Town: -5.4℃, WSW1.9m/s, snow depth 77cm, 1014.3hPa. The cold air flowing in has slowed however the snow continues to fall. From 3am to 6am 15cm new snow fell. Above 1000m, winds over 15m.s continue with cornice and snow drift development. Snow drift consolidation continues. There possibility of avalanche from a deep layer on steep south facing slopes and cliffs, like Haru no Taki, with fracture face over 100cm.Do not duck ropes looking for fresh snow. Beware cornices suddenly collapsing. Avalanches occur when conditions are right. They are only accidents when people are involved. Avalanche forecasts should focus on how the snow falls rather than the amount of snowfall. When wind speed is over 25m/s in strong snowfall, the development speed of snowdrifts is greater than the consolidation speed on leeward slopes, so weak layers break and avalanches are likely to occur. In bad weather, it is better stay off leeward slopes and out of the creeks. Get your beacons and helmets ready. We will soon be able to ski off piste. Niseko Rules respects your freedom to ride , but always keeps safety in mind. The snow is great. Have a good day. ----- Ski resort operation information: Friday 18th December 2020 The below information is manually checked each morning and believed to be correct at time of report. Niseko Grand Hirafu Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 190cm (+10cm) - Base: 115cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Ace Family quad - Ace Number 2 Center quad - King Number 3 quad Courses available: - Family - Sennoki - Alpen - Super (upper area) - Green - Furiko - Kokutai - Detour for Beginners - Center - Shirakaba - Rinkan (lower part) - Jumbo ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 150cm (+5cm) - Base: 96cm (+6cm) Ski lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad ----- Niseko Annupuri Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 120cm (+10cm) - Base: 90cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad Courses available: - Utopia Course - Shirakaba Course - Family Course - Paradise Course - Dynamic Course - Junior Course ----- Niseko Village Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 115cm (+5cm) - Base: 80cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair - Banzai Chair ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas from Saturday 19th December 2020. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 234cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (10th November and 15th December) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 172cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 167cm Posted on Thursday 17th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is -8c in town and heading for a high of just -7c today. There is 3cm of new snow and it is snowing very lightly at the moment with the possibility of more coming in the afternoon. The morning is looking pleasant with the early morning fog lifting to reveal partially clear skies. Great skiing with plenty of fresh snow on the Furano Zone. Kitanomine Zone is scheduled for opening on December 24. Furano Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 17th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 167cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 27cm (8th December) November 2020 snowfall 48cm reported on 7 days December 2020 snowfall 119cm 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 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 72cm Snowfall at base this season 191cm Posted on Thursday 17th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Another mad day of snow; it was a "double Peter" — "Peter," or "pee-tah" being the local slang for a snowthrower; double because, well, it took two sessions of clearing to make sure our cars could get in to park safely. A little bit of wind late last night, so a little bit of drifting, but not much really compared to what can happen. So a pretty big one-day fall; please see photo and note, too, that I didn't measure at the top of the settlement cone, but on the flat there. So 72cm is a big number, but I'm pretty confident about it! It may be starting to peter out here; the sun just tried to come out, and the snow has tapered off. The forecast is for a bit of a break tomorrow, but then those Siberian winds off the Sea of Japan return Saturday, just in time for most of the resorts to open. Imagine that: a powder, pre-Christmas opener! Just too good.... Here's today's information: Akakura Kanko: Opening December 19 Akakura Onsen: 90cm, -2°C Ikenotaira Onsen: Opening December 19 Myoko Suginohara: Opening December 26 Seki Onsen: Opening December 19 Kyukamura RunRun: Opening December 19 Tangram Ski Circus: Opening December 19 Madarao Kogen: Opening December 19 Lotte Arai Resort 243cm, -1.6° Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Opening December 26 Myoko Ski Park: Closed this season Myoko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 17th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 191cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 72cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2020 snowfall 190cm 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 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 56cm Snowfall at base this season 114cm Posted on Thursday 17th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . The Nagasaka Gondola wasn't able to get going yesterday and it is going to be rested today too. This is as they deal with what seems to be a fallen tree along the line of the gondola and also, I just noticed, some kind of power outage. I'm sure the mad weather conditions we have been getting aren't helping fix those things up. So there is a change in lift operations on the mountain for today as noted below. Basically the lower Hikage and Nagasaka areas are open today with four lifts operating. Top areas closed. The better news is that... they are able to do that. That's because we have had tons of snow. Curiously the ski area isn't yet reporting from the lower areas (the area that is open today), but they are reporting a full 1m of snow up on Yamabiko since yesterday. Special lower priced lift tickets are on offer for today with this new make-shift operations set up. Hopefully we'll be back to top of the mountain action soon with the gondola back open. And the untouched goodness on offer up there when they do open should be top class. Having said that conditions should be pretty sweet down low too this morning as there is a lot of snow to play in. What a great start we are being blessed with. (And what a contrast with last season!) If you are looking for clearer weather and some sunshine, you might have to wait until around Tuesday or Wednesday. We got more snow to get before then. On a different subject... Have you checked out the SnowJapanHistory.com website yet? This new site, brought to you by the guy who started this website, provides a feast of interesting information on old ski areas around Japan that are no longer with us. Did you know there used to be another small ski area within the boundaries of Nozawa Onsen Village? How does the idea of taking a train, then a ferry boat across the river and then walking up a hill to get to the one single ski lift sound?! That ski area was called Nanamaki. Other stories that I have found particularly interesting are the Sapporo Olympic downhill courses on Mt Eniwa (a ‘ski area’ that only Olympians got to ski) and one that appeared on the site just yesterday - a small ski area called Jitsukiyama on the mountain behind Zenkoji Temple in central Nagano City. At the time of this report 138 old ski areas are listed on there including a bunch in nearby Iiyama and Yamanouchi (Shiga Kogen). I highly recommend you take a look! SnowJapanHistory.com Fresh snowfall recorded by the resort (since yesterday morning): - Yamabiko (1407m): 100cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 90cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Official snow depth numbers (reported by the ski area): - Yamabiko (1407m): 175cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 170cm - Hikage (660m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Nagasaka (615m): -cm (not reporting yet) - Karasawa (563m): -cm (not reporting yet) Planned operating lifts: - Hikage Four lift - Hikage Triple lift - Nagasaka Four lift - Nagasaka Triple lift Courses currently open: - Hikage - Nagasaka Nozawa Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 17th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 114cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 56cm (17th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 114cm 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 23cm Snowfall at base this season 220cm Posted on Thursday 17th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. And... another very decent amount of lovely snowfall to report to you this morning and I am measuring 23cm of it. A good chunk of that came to us during the day yesterday after that clearer start. I enjoyed some fine conditions in the morning. With more expected at higher elevations, we are getting a good base going now with the ski areas reporting 70-105cm around base areas and 110-180cm at peak. There seems to be some sunshine due around Tuesday, along with milder temperatures, but before that we can expect cold and consistent snowfall... and it is snowing lightly now and gradually getting heavier as I look outside my window. It might get somewhat windy later in the day but nothing that should annoy too much. Perhaps we will see more terrain opening for the weekend? (Just my guess and hope). ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data- Cape Benkei: NW18m/s,. Cape kamui: NW13m/s, 1008hPa, wave 2.9m. Moiwa Mountain Base: -8℃、15cm new snow. Moiwa 600m: -9℃, Intermittent westerly wind and snow continues, 15cm new snow, snow depth 90cm. Hanazono 1000m: -13.8℃, SSE1.7m/s, intermittent blizzard conditions. Annupuri 1000m: -12℃, W12m/s, snowdrift growth 40-50cm, Annupuri 1150m snowdrift growth 150-200cm. Kutchan Town: -6.0℃, W3.0m/s, 1007.9hPa. The winter type pressure pattern continues with intermittent blizzard above 600m. Above 1000m cornices and snowdrifts are slowly growing. Although winds are light at the mountain base, higher up it is much stronger. Below 800m in the forest zone the avalanche risk on leeward slopes is low. Above 1000m open leeward 30deg slopes there is possibility of surface avalanches fracturing at more than 80 cm. Surface avalanches occur when slabs start to form. Wind snow slabs (snowdrifts) that develop in winds above 25 m/s are hard and structurally unstable, and are prone to surface-generated avalanches that fracture by skier stimulation. The slabs will stabilize when the wind and snow drops, but it takes time especially if the wind and snow were strong. It is better not to ride on steep open slopes snowdrifts soon after the wind drops and the lifts start. It's cold today. Beware of sudden changes in the weather. Have a good day. ----- Ski resort operation information: Thursday 17th December 2020 The below information is manually checked each morning and believed to be correct at time of report. Niseko Grand Hirafu Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 180cm (+10cm) - Base: 105cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Ace Family quad - Ace Number 2 Center quad - King Number 3 quad Courses available: - Family - Sennoki - Alpen - Green - Kokutai - Detour for Beginners - Center - Shirakaba - Rinkan (lower part) - Jumbo ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 145cm (+10cm) - Base: 90cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad ----- Niseko Annupuri Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 110cm (+10cm) - Base: 80cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola (?) - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 2 pair Courses available: - Utopia Course - Shirakaba Course - Family Course - Paradise Course - Dynamic Course - Junior Course ----- Niseko Village Part open Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 110cm (+20cm) - Base: 70cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Village Express - Community Chair - Banzai Chair ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas from Saturday 19th December 2020. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 17th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 220cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (10th November and 15th December) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 158cm reported on 12 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 4cm Snowfall at base this season 164cm Posted on Wednesday 16th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is a very cold morning at -13c in Furano town. The sky is clear of any cloud and it is all blue sky over the resort. There has been 4cm of new snow since yesterday. The Kitanomine side has been fully groomed which is a sign they are preparing for opening. The resort plans to open Kitanomine by 24 December. Furano Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 16th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 164cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 27cm (8th December) November 2020 snowfall 48cm reported on 7 days December 2020 snowfall 116cm 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 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 40cm Posted on Wednesday 16th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Brrr a chilly morning at -8C (not after a morning onsen though but someone seems to have over compensated and I reckon it was 44C, so not a long dip). More snow overnight and seems set to continue until Monday. I made it at +12cm on the car bonnet (hood) and at the onsen. Temps are lower higher up with a stated high wind chill factor albeit it seems windless at base (was a bit blustery yesterday afternoon). Large gain of 40cm on Utopia making it now 60cm but, still only it and the Chuo slopes are running (note two lifts running at Chuo however today, the Mikaeri lift from the top of the Sky Cable does not appear to be running). Zao Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 16th December 2020 Total snowfall at base 40cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (on 14th December) November 2020 snowfall 0cm December 2020 snowfall 40cm observed 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 Zao Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 45cm Snowfall at base this season 119cm Posted on Wednesday 16th December 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . It feels like the Myoko we remember (after last year's record-breakingly poor snow). The cars are buried, the trains have stopped, the snow keeps falling hard enough that one plowing a day just isn't enough. No worries about whether or not we'll have a white Christmas this year. Akakura Onsen has now officially announced that it will open tomorrow. Most everything else follows on Saturday, except for Myoko Suginohara and Kurohime Kogen, which open on the 26th. I'm actually at a loss for something to write, because it's just so good out there. The only thing to do now is be sure and fight for first lift on Saturday.... Hey, a woodcock just landed outside my office (see photo). Probably caught off-guard by the 45 cm of fresh on top of what we already had. Time to head down the hill, buddy! Akakura Kanko: Opening December 19 Akakura Onsen: Opening December 17 Ikenotaira Onsen: Opening December 19 Myoko Suginohara: Opening December 26 Seki Onsen: Opening December 19 Kyukamura RunRun: Opening December 19 Tangram Ski Circus: Opening December 19 Madarao Kogen: Opening December 19 Lotte Arai Resort 211cm, -1.8° Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Opening December 26 Myoko Ski Park: Closed this season Myoko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 16th December 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 119cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (16th December) November 2020 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2020 snowfall 118cm 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 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