Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 38cm Snowfall at base this season 538cm Posted on Sunday 29th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. And what a fine morning it is early on. There's an impressive amount of fresh snow since yesterday. We are measuring 38cm here in Yuzawa, with 42cm measured to the north of Ishiuchi. Kagura is reporting 60cm of snow since yesterday and Maiko is reporting 40cm. (Commonly asked question: why don't more ski areas report new snowfall every day? Good question. And, it is a mystery. Rather, they all update their much less meaningful (on a day to day basis) snow depth numbers. Maiko Snow Resort almost always reports a new snowfall number. Kagura usually report it too on, though not on their website (doh). Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama sometimes report it. But, unfortunately, most choose not to, which we feel is a shame...) OK, back to the weather! It was snowing earlier on but at the moment as this report is being written there is quite a lot of blue sky appearing and sunshine too. Beautiful. We have done well for snow over the last 5 or 6 days. We are enjoying a good period, for sure. And it looks like there is more snow on the way too over the coming week, and it should generally remain cold too. --------------- Ski area information for Sunday 29th January 2023 Ski areas in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma region (listed in alphabetical order). The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated every morning. All ski area operations are subject to weather conditions and subject to change. ---------- GALA Yuzawa Official snow depth: 260cm Ishiuchi Maruyama Official snow depth: 220cm Night skiing until 8:00pm Iwappara Official snow depth: 215cm Night skiing until 7:00pm Joetsu Kokusai Official snow depth: 250cm (top) Night skiing until 9:00pm Kagura Fresh snowfall (reported by the ski area): 60cm Official snow depth: 340cm (top), 240cm (base) The top Number 5 lift is closed today due to avalanche risk Kandatsu Snow Resort Official snow depth: 270cm Maiko Snow Resort Fresh snowfall (reported by the ski area): 40cm Official snow depth: 270cm (top), 180cm (lower) Night skiing until 8:00pm Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: 280cm (top), 160cm (base) Naeba Official snow depth: 200cm (top), 120cm (base) Night skiing until 8:30pm NASPA Ski Garden Official snow depth: 245cm Yuzawa Kogen Official snow depth: 230cm (top); 140cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Official snow depth: 210cm Yuzawa Park Official snow depth: 200cm Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Sunday 29th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 538cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 51cm (5th January) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 123cm reported on 14 days January 2023 snowfall 415cm reported on 18 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1cm Posted on Saturday 3rd December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. We got the first snow of the season falling in town yesterday. It didn't last long and in many places it didn't stick for long, but there was a thin layer of snow in places around town. Just slightly above Yuzawa town centre at NASPA Ski Garden there was a few cm of snow on the ground. I think the report just about deserves to commemorate that snow with 1cm in todays report. There's no word from Kagura yet this morning. [11am update: they have announced there will be no opening tomorrow (Sunday)]. Today we have blue skies and bright sunshine and it will be a fairly mild day. ---------- Ready to open when there is enough snow - Joetsu Kokusai - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Friday 16th December 2022 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 17th December 2022 - GALA Yuzawa - Iwappara - Kagura (via Tashiro) - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 3rd December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 1cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 1cm (3rd December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 1cm Posted on Thursday 8th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. It's raining down in town, quite heavily at times, but let's quickly move on to the more exciting news! It is snowing up at Kagura and that ski area is opening this morning. The ski area is reporting 5cm of fresh snowfall on the ski run that is opening this morning. Forecasts are starting to look more promising with snow due on the mountains today, and then hopefully down to town around Sunday. ---------- Planned Kagura operations today: Ski course: - Kagura main slope - The slope is about 1500m in length and 30m wide Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (8:30am – 4:30pm) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad (8:30am – 4:15pm) - Mitsumata Number 2 pair lift (8:45am – 4:00pm) - Kagura Gondola (8:45am – 3:30pm) - Kagura Number 1 quad (9:00am – 3:00pm) All lifts apart from the Kagura Number 1 quad lift are used to get to and from the open area. Getting to the open slope: Mitsumata Ropeway > Mitsumata quad lift > Mitsumata pair lift > Gondola > Kagura quad lift > Hurray! Getting back when finished: Kagura Gondola > Mitsumata pair lift > Mitsumata quad lift > Mitsumata Ropeway Note that a bit of walking is required between the lifts at Mitsumata. The ski area is offering a 'carry service' where they take your ski/board gear up to the open area while you ride the lifts. Skiing or snowboarding on the Mitsumata summer ‘snow mats’ is not allowed - the only ski run open will be the Kagura main slope. ---------- Opening today! - Kagura (via Mitsumata) Ready to open when there is enough snow - Joetsu Kokusai Friday 16th December 2022 - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 17th December 2022 - GALA Yuzawa - Iwappara - Kagura (via Tashiro) - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 8th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 1cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 1cm (3rd December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 4cm Posted on Thursday 15th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. So we were definitely expecting snow yesterday. We did eventually get some snow, but it was... disappointing. Rather than a good old snow country style snowstorm, it only brought us several cm and not enough for ground cover. Kagura is reporting 2cm of snow 'since yesterday'. They also have enough snow to expand operations so you can now ski from the top of the Kagura quad lift right back down to Mitsumata (with a ride on the Mitsumata Number 2 lift in the middle of that). That's good to hear. Snow is still there on the forecasts into early next week. For the moment, it is mostly cloudy with some blue sky and about 2C in town. Maiko Snow Resort was hoping to open tomorrow. They are reporting 20cm of snow on upper areas, but that they will not be able to open tomorrow. Basically, they will open as soon as there is enough snow. Similar with Ishiuchi Maruyama though they will be opening the gondola for sightseeing. GALA Yuzawa will be making an announcement regarding their planned Saturday opening sometime today. There should be more ski area news to report tomorrow. --------------- The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated for every report. Please note that details can change quickly, especially at the beginning of the season, and official information may take a bit longer to update. All information is subject to change. Kagura (via Mitsumata) Part open Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (from 8:00am on weekdays) - Mitsumata Number 1 quad - Mitsumata Number 2 pair lift - Kagura Gondola - Kagura Number 1 quad Courses: - Kagura main slope - Technical course - Gondola course - Family course - Gondola Line course Official snow depth: - Top: 60cm - Base: 30cm Notes: All lifts apart from the Kagura Number 1 quad lift are used to get to and from the open area. A bit of walking is required between the lifts at Mitsumata. The ski area is offering a 'carry service' where they take your ski/board gear up to the open area while you ride the lifts. The only ski run open is the Kagura main slope. --------------- Planned opening dates for other ski areas Ready to open when there is enough snow - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Joetsu Kokusai - Maiko Snow Resort Saturday 17th December 2022 - GALA Yuzawa - Iwappara - Kagura (via Tashiro) - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Naeba - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 15th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 4cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 3cm (15th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 4cm reported on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 8cm Posted on Friday 16th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. First of all, snow. It was raining and then snowing last night, and it is snowing now. There is just a few cm on the ground around town, and Kagura is reporting 3cm of fresh snowfall this morning. So it has been another modest showing - and not what we expect and need. For now. A number of ski areas were planning on opening today and tomorrow. Here's where we stand with them. The following ski areas have confirmed that they will be (part) open from tomorrow: - Kagura (via Tashiro) - Naeba Naeba plan to have their Number 2 gondola moving along with the top Takenokodaira pair lift. No details to report from Tashiro just yet. The following ski areas plan to open from tomorrow but have not yet made any announcement, so status is unclear: - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Yuzawa Kogen - Nakazato Snow Wood Maiko and Ishiuchi were hoping to open from today, but that is not happening. (Maiko are now saying that Sunday will be the earliest). GALA Yuzawa have announced that they will not be opening on Saturday or Sunday, so the earliest opening for GALA is Monday. Yuzawa Nakazato have also delayed their opening. So those ski areas are now on the 'open as soon as possible' list. When can we expect heavy snow to kick things off? Well, the forecasts for Sunday and Monday are looking good. Fingers crossed! ------------------ 2pm update Naeba is planning on opening tomorrow morning (Prince Number 2 Gondola and Takenokodaira pair lift, with the run by the pair lift open). The Tashiro Area of Kagura will also be open. However, there are no confirmed details yet explaining what lifts/courses will be available there. All of the other ski areas hoping to open this weekend have announced delays to opening - and will not be open tomorrow. Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 16th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 8cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 4cm (16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 8cm reported on 3 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 9cm Posted on Saturday 17th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. First of all, the really good news. Tashiro Ropeway is open from this morning and Kagura ski area is saying that almost all areas of Kagura (Mitsumata, Tashiro, Kagura) will be open today. The Kagura connecting course (connecting Tashiro with Kagura) will be open until 2:30pm. That is really great to hear. And with some blue skies, it should be a fine morning. Naeba ski area is also open from this morning, with the Prince Number 2 Gondola and upper Takenokodaira pair lift operating with just that one course open. Other ski areas around town were hoping to open this weekend, but there isn't enough snow yet and they are all now 'on standby'. See below for the list. Forecasts all still show snow due tomorrow and Monday. Hopefully there will be a lot of it. As regular readers will know, things can change very quickly... Hope you have a good weekend. --------------- The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated for every report. Please note that details can change quickly, especially at the beginning of the season, and official information may take a bit longer to update. All information is subject to change. Kagura Mitsumata and Tashiro bases are both open Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm for the weekend) - Tashiro Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm for the weekend) - Enough other ski lifts to service all areas of Kagura Courses: - Most ski runs at Kagura are planned to be available today Official snow depth: - Top: 60cm - Base: 30cm ------- Naeba Part open Lifts: - Prince Number 2 Gondola (8:00am until 3:15pm, last one down at 3:45pm) - Takenokodaira pair (8:15am until 3:30pm) Courses: - Takenokodaira Official snow depth: - Top: 30cm - Base: 0cm --------------- Other ski areas in Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma Ready to open when there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Iwappara - Joetsu Kokusai - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Maiko Snow Resort - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Planned opening date: Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Planned opening date: Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Planned opening date: Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 17th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 9cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 4 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 4cm (16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 9cm reported on 4 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 10cm Posted on Sunday 18th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Kagura are reporting 10cm of snowfall since yesterday and Naeba are reporting 5cm. Hearing various reports on how busy it was up there yesterday. With only Kagura and a small part of Naeba currently open, everyone is going there! Just one more reason why we want all of the ski areas to be able to open quickly. The heavy snowfall that we are (still) expecting has not yet arrived. Light snow has been falling early morning, but it is not the kind where we are going to see the cm building up. Not yet. The 1cm reported today is being rather generous, representing a dusting. (Will keep in mind when we need to round down). Varied conditions early this morning. A few wise words from our long-time Myoko friend over on the Myoko Now report this morning if you care to read. It has definitely been a slow start, but there is no need to panic. Let's see how things look in another week. --------------- The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated for every report. Please note that details can change quickly, especially at the beginning of the season, and official information may take a bit longer to update. All information is subject to change. Kagura Mitsumata and Tashiro bases are both open Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm for the weekend) - Tashiro Ropeway (7:30am until 4:30pm for the weekend) - 12 lifts operating Courses: - Most of the main ski runs at Kagura are planned to be available today - 21 our of 32 courses officially open Official snow depth: - Top: 60cm - Base: 30cm ------- Naeba Part open Lifts: - Prince Number 2 Gondola (8:00am until 3:15pm, last one down at 3:45pm) - Takenokodaira pair (8:15am until 3:30pm) Courses: - Takenokodaira Official snow depth: - Top: 30cm - Base: 0cm --------------- Other ski areas in Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma Ready to open when there is enough snow - GALA Yuzawa - Ishiuchi Maruyama - Iwappara - Joetsu Kokusai - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Maiko Snow Resort - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen - Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Planned opening date: Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Planned opening date: Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Planned opening date: Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Sunday 18th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 10cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 4cm (16th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 10cm reported on 5 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 16cm Snowfall at base this season 26cm Posted on Tuesday 20th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. At last, some snow on the ground! There is around 15cm or so of snow, give or take, at our trusted measuring points around town. Kagura is reporting 20cm of fresh snowfall and curiously they are mentioning that 'it has snowed, but not as much as you see on the news'. That is because on the national news last night it was showing the really heavy snow that was causing trouble in central Niigata Prefecture. They have well over 1m in places. While we had sunshine during lots of the day yesterday, it was hard to believe that it was happening so close by... and in regions that usually don't get much snow too. At one point there was 22km of stationary traffic on the Route 8 road in Kashiwazaki! Interesting (and no fun for those involved), but bring it down here please! Back to ski area news: GALA Yuzawa is open from this morning. They have the gondola and three lifts in the Central Area open, with four ski runs available - Melody, Entertainment, Edelweiss (part) and Gigi. The playing in the snow area is also open. So there are now 4 ski areas open: Kagura, Naeba, GALA Yuzawa and Joetsu Kokusai. Other ski areas are still on standby. This fresh snowfall is of course most welcome, but not enough yet. We might get some light snow during the day today and the next potential for decent snow seems to be for late week. Good snowfall for Christmas would be a popular present. For the moment it is mostly cloudy, light snow falling in places, and some hints of blue sky in others. --------------- GALA Yuzawa Part open Lifts: - Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Phaeton pair lift Courses: - 4 courses in the Central Area (Melody, Entertainment, Edelweiss, Gigi) Official snow depth: - 35cm Kagura Mostly open Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (from 8:00am on weekdays) - Tashiro Ropeway (from 8:00am on weekdays) - 11 lifts operating Courses: - Most of the main ski runs at Kagura are planned to be available today - 21 our of 32 courses officially open Official snow depth: - Top: 60cm - Base: 30cm ------- Naeba Part open Lifts: - Prince Number 2 Gondola (8:00am until 3:15pm, last one down at 3:45pm) - Takenokodaira pair (8:15am until 3:30pm) Courses: - Takenokodaira Official snow depth: - Top: 30cm - Base: 0cm (...but there is some snow down there) ------- Joetsu Kokusai Part open Lifts & Courses: - 4 lifts - Panorama (2 courses) Official snow depth: - Top: 45cm --------------- Other ski areas in Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma Ready to open when there is enough snow - Ishiuchi Maruyama (the Gondola is open for sightseeing) - Iwappara - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Maiko Snow Resort - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Kogen (the Ropeway is open for sightseeing) - Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Planned opening date: Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Planned opening date: Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Planned opening date: Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 20th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 26cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (20th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 26cm reported on 6 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 29cm Posted on Friday 23rd December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. The trees outside look lovely. A few cm of snow is hanging on the branches, and the sun is shining on them. All well and good, but, of course, here in Yuzawa and the wider region, we are used to masses of snow completely covering them. And hopefully, this weekend is when we (at last) start to get our snow. For now, it's sunny. But, by tonight, all being well, it will be snowing. And it should be snowing - hopefully heavily - over the weekend. There is some news I so don't want to have to report. Our report yesterday was quickly updated with news that Yuzawa Kogen managed to open a few ski runs. Unfortunately, due to our snow situation, they cannot continue with that today. (The Ropeway is open for sightseeing only). I can't wait to bring you news of Yuzawa-like snow! When it does arrive, expect a frenzy of activity from ski areas eager to open up. --------------- GALA Yuzawa Part open Lifts: - Gondola - Barouche quad lift - Sociable quad lift - Phaeton pair lift Courses: - 2 courses in the Central Area (Melody, Entertainment) Official snow depth: - 50cm ------- Kagura Open Lifts: - Mitsumata Ropeway (from 8:00am on weekdays) - Tashiro Ropeway (from 8:00am on weekdays) - 11 lifts operating Courses: - Most of the main ski runs at Kagura are planned to be available - 23 out of 32 courses officially open Official snow depth: - Top: 70cm - Base: 30cm ------- Naeba Part open Lifts: - Prince Number 2 Gondola (from 8:00am) - Takenokodaira pair Courses: - Takenokodaira Official snow depth: - Top: 30cm - Base: 0cm ------- Joetsu Kokusai Part open Lifts & Courses: - 4 lifts - 3 courses in the Panorama area Official snow depth: - Top: 40cm ------- Yuzawa Kogen Part open Lifts: - After being open yesterday, closed again today --------------- Other ski areas in Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma Ready to open when there is enough snow - Ishiuchi Maruyama (the Gondola is open for sightseeing) - Iwappara - Kandatsu Snow Resort - Maiko Snow Resort - Nakazato Snow Wood - Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Planned opening date: Friday 23rd December 2022 - Muica Snow Resort - NASPA Ski Garden Planned opening date: Saturday 24th December 2022 - Chateau Shiozawa - Hakkai Sanroku - Ipponsugi - Muikamachi Hakkaisan - Yuzawa Park Planned opening date: Late December 2022 - Mt Granview Confirmed as not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 23rd December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 29cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (20th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 29cm 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 Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 34cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. The snow started before it got light and there was some thunder and lightning too. As of 9am, just 5cm or so (of rather wet snow) around town areas. Kagura is also reporting just 5cm, which is perhaps a surprise. So it's not yet the full-on blizzard conditions that we know so well in these parts. It is quite windy, though, and due to the wind the Tashiro Area of Kagura is closed and the gondola at Naeba is on hold, though they have a few lower lifts opening. At the start of the day only the Mitsumata quad is open. More of GALA Yuzawa is open this morning, including the top run and part of the Northern Area. Joetsu Kokusai, to the north of Yuzawa, also has more opening up too - they now have 10 lifts operating and 9 courses open. In other news, Maiko Snow Resort and Kandatsu are both saying that they hope to open from tomorrow (Sunday). There may well be other news later on today. We will be checking available information and update this report by this evening. ---------- Update There hasn't been much snow during the day, though more as you were higher up. More on that tomorrow. Winds are forecast for tomorrow again, and Tashiro has already said that it will be closed. So while that may change, for the moment, Tashiro is not planning on being open on 25th December. OK so here's the news we have regarding the status of various ski areas in the region. It is good to report that the Muikamachi Hakkaisan, Hakkai Sanroku and Muica Snow Resort ski areas have all been able to open. They are all in the northern region of Minamiuonuma, so it just goes to show how there really has been snowfall not far away, north of the Yuzawa valley. The snow clouds are still being uncharacteristically shy regarding visiting our region. Kandatsu Snow Resort plans to be part open from 7am tomorrow morning. Maiko Snow Resort is going to make a decision about if they can open or not in the early morning tomorrow - not enough snow yet, so hoping for more overnight. Chateau Shiozawa will open on Monday 26th. Iwappara, NASPA Ski Garden and Yuzawa Park are hoping that they will be able to open on Monday, while Yuzawa Nakazato and Ishiuchi Maruyama are not mentioning a specific date. Ipponsugi is aiming for Tuesday 27th to open. Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 34cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (20th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 34cm 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 Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 40cm Posted on Sunday 25th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. First of all... Happy Christmas! We won't dwell on the curious early season weather we are experiencing this Christmas Day. We will post a few more thoughts about that in tomorrow's report. For this morning, a look at the weather since yesterday and ski area opening news. First up, weather and snow. The great news is that Kagura is reporting a whopping 60cm of fresh snow this morning, presumably at the top. That's the kind of news we like to hear! So it sounds like there should be some good snow to find in higher elevations this morning. (Note that the Tashiro Area of Kagura is closed today due to strong winds forecast). In contrast, there still isn't much fresh to report down at town level. Kandatsu Snow Resort and Maiko Snow Resort are both part open from this morning. Other ski areas are eyeing tomorrow as their first day, and hopefully, we will get snow today and overnight to help them do that. Iwappara, NASPA Ski Garden and Yuzawa Park are all saying they hope that they will be able to open tomorrow, while Yuzawa Nakazato and Ishiuchi Maruyama are still not mentioning a specific date. They will all just open as soon as they can, basically. We are due snow today and overnight, heavy at times. (Will the forecasts get it right this time?! Sure hope so!) Have a fine day, wherever you are. Update: NASPA Ski Garden is going to be part open (Course F) from 1:00pm today (Sunday, 25th December). Iwappara plans to have the Number 2 and 3 pair lifts and the Chuo quad lift open from tomorrow (Monday, 26th December). Ishiuchi Maruyama also plans to be part open from tomorrow morning. Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 40cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 9 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (20th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 40cm reported on 9 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 34cm Snowfall at base this season 74cm Posted on Monday 26th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. This is more like it! At last, overnight we have had the kind of snowfall that we know and love. Here is how much snow is being reported by ski areas that report such things: - Kagura: 40cm - Maiko Snow Resort: 35cm Our measurement is 34cm. There's less to the north at our measuring point in Minamiuonuma (just over 20cm). It didn't feel like it was going to happen again yesterday. It was snowing on and off during the day but not really amounting to much. Happily there was decent snow from late night and early morning. Now what we would really like is... lots more. This fresh snow means more ski areas are now able to open up, and there is a lot of information to take in this morning. The list below has been updated and will be double-checked over the next few hours to make sure everything is correct. The only two ski areas that are not yet open are Ipponsugi and Mt Granview. They both plan to open on 28th December. --------------- About the season so far Note: The below was written yesterday, before the good snowfall we received overnight. It all still applies, of course, but just goes to show that things can and do change quickly... Thought it would be a good time to make a few comments about the early season, especially with more than a few people asking questions. It has been such an odd (and probably unique) start to the season in this particular region. Unlike several years ago when we struggled with snowfall, there is plenty of snow in some nearby areas this year. Parts of central and northern Niigata Prefecture, and as close as the north area of Minamiuonuma, have seen some heavy snowfall. Even record snowfall in some places. (I was going to say 'enjoyed some heavy snowfall', but snow is not welcome in some of those places). So it has been really strange watching that happen while it hasn't been snowing much here at all, or certainly not in the amounts we expect and are used to. Instead, the snow clouds have seemed strangely reluctant to deliver the goods, giving our area a pass. And indeed, forecasts have often been wrong, too, with the weather tricking them with their abnormal behaviour. Thanks to that snowfall just to our north, ski areas like Muikamachi Hakkaisan could open as planned, which is great. However, as you know from these reports, ski areas here in Yuzawa and south Minamiuonuma have been struggling. It is important to emphasise that even with an uncharacteristically slow start, ski areas are now opening. Kagura (weather permitting) is pretty much fully open. We cover such details in the report every day. And hopefully, we will soon get into regular service and enjoy a season of consistent and heavy snowfall. Of course, we look forward to getting out in deep snow ourselves (and even the required shovelling). But we are also looking forward to being able to post reports that convey the excitement it always brings! SnowJapan is not here to bring you hype and/or misleading reports to tell you what you might want to hear. That means you can tell when we're genuinely excited. Check the Yuzawa Now reports from the second half of December last year for a good dose of that! When the snow in Yuzawa gets into gear, it really is something to behold. May that be very soon. --------------- Ski area information for Monday 26th December 2022 Ski areas in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma region (listed in alphabetical order). The information below is manually checked with official sources and updated for every report. Please note that details can change quickly, especially at the beginning of the season, and official information may take a bit longer to update. All information is subject to weather conditions and subject to change. ---------- GALA Yuzawa Lifts & courses: 6 lifts operating (Gondola, Coach pair, Barouche quad, Sociable quad, Phaeton pair, Victoria quad) All of the Central Area is open Part of the Northern Area is open (Broadway, Swan) Official snow depth: 80cm ---------- Ishiuchi Maruyama Lifts & courses: 6 lifts operating (Sunrise Express, Tyrol triple, Summit quad, Kanko Number 2 and 3 Express, Kitamaruyama Family pair) 9 courses open ---------- Iwappara Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (Chuo quad, Number 2 pair, Number 3 pair) 6 courses open Official snow depth: 50cm ---------- Joetsu Kokusai Lifts & courses: 12 lifts operating 12 courses open The area in front of the hotel and Nagamine 1 and 3 courses are open for night skiing until 9:00pm Official snow depth: 80cm (top) ---------- Kagura Lifts & courses: Kagura is now usually mostly open, but some restricted operations today due to weather Both Ropeways are open 12 lifts operating 16 out of 32 courses open Official snow depth: 100cm (top) 60cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 40cm ---------- Kandatsu Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (A, B and C) 6 courses open Official snow depth: 75cm ---------- Maiko Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (Maiko Gondola, Okusoechi quad, Okusoechi pair, Maiko Center quad) 9 courses open (top Okusoechi area via Gondola and part of Maiko Area) Official snow depth: 120cm (top) 40cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 35cm ---------- Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lifts & courses: 3 of 4 lifts operating (the top pair lift is only open on weekends and holidays) All courses open Official snow depth: 160cm (top) 40cm (base) ---------- Naeba Lifts: 8 lifts operating (all except Number 1 gondola, Number 8 high speed, Daishamen pair and Takenokoyama pair) 11 of 24 courses open The Number 5 high speed lift is open for night skiing until 8:30pm Official snow depth: 70cm (top) 30cm (base) ---------- NASPA Ski Garden Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (Number 3, 4 and 5) 3 courses open (F, G and H courses) Official snow depth: 85cm ---------- Yuzawa Kogen Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway, Kogen Express, Cosmos, Summit Panorama) 4 courses open Official snow depth: 60cm (top) 20cm (base) ---------- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 2 lifts operating (Number 2, Number 3) 2 courses open (Joyful, Smile) Official snow depth: 40cm ---------- Yuzawa Park Lifts & courses: 1 lifts operating (Number 7) 1 course open (Beginner) Official snow depth: 50cm Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Monday 26th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 74cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 10 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (26th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 74cm 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 Yuzawa. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com