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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 89cm Posted on Tuesday 27th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. After the report yesterday morning, there has been another 15cm of snowfall around town areas. Most of that coming in the morning yesterday. Beyond that it was snowing lightly at times, but not heavily. This morning there is a lot of cloud about and light snow is still falling in places. Again, it's not the kind that is going to be adding more cm. It is currently 0C in town. Over the next few days we might get to enjoy some breaks in the cloud and (especially tomorrow) some sunshine. Fingers crossed it doesn't get too mild. We should be getting more snow around Thursday. It was really great to see the snow yesterday morning and exciting to get out in a good layer of fresh snow. That snowfall really helped the ski areas open up and for things to look (and feel) more normal once again. There's still less of it about than usual, of course, so hopefully we will be on the receiving end of some good snow deliveries over the next few weeks. Some comments regarding the season so far were posted in the report yesterday. If you missed that, take a look here. --------------- Ski area information for Tuesday 27th 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: 110cm ---------- Ishiuchi Maruyama Lifts & courses: 9 lifts operating 16 courses open Official snow depth: 110cm ---------- Iwappara Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (Summit quad, Chuo quad, Number 2 pair, Number 3 pair) 12 courses open The Number 2 pair lift is open until 7:00pm Official snow depth: 60cm ---------- Joetsu Kokusai Lifts & courses: 12 lifts operating 14 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: 110cm (top) ---------- Kagura Lifts & courses: Kagura is now mostly open weather permitting 13 lifts operating 23 out of 32 courses open Official snow depth: 130cm (top) 80cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 20cm ---------- Kandatsu Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (A, B and C) 8 courses open Official snow depth: 105cm ---------- Maiko Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 7 lifts operating (Maiko Gondola, Okusoechi quad, Okusoechi pair, Nagamine quads, Shuttle pair, Maiko Center quad) 11 courses open (Most of the gondola side and part of Maiko Area) Official snow depth: 150cm (top) 50cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 30cm ---------- 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: 150cm (top) 50cm (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: 100cm (top) 50cm (base) ---------- NASPA Ski Garden Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (Number 1, 2, 3 and 4) All main courses apart from C Official snow depth: 95cm ---------- Yuzawa Kogen Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway, Kogen Express, Summit Panorama, base pair lift) 6 courses open Official snow depth: 60cm (top) 20cm (base) ---------- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (Number 1, 2 and 3) 2 courses open (Joyful, Smile) - maybe more today (not updated yet) Official snow depth: 80cm ---------- Yuzawa Park Lifts & courses: 2 lifts operating (Number 1 and 7) 4 courses open Official snow depth: 70cm --------------- Other ski areas in Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma Already open - Hakkai Sanroku - Muica Snow Resort - Nakazato Snow Wood Opening 28th December - Ipponsugi - Mt Granview Ski areas not opening for the 2022-2023 season - Ishiuchi Hanaoka - Itsukamachi Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 27th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 89cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (26th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 89cm 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 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 28cm Snowfall at base this season 118cm Posted on Friday 30th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good news too, this morning. Kagura, Yuzawa Kogen and Maiko Snow Resort are all reporting 30cm of fresh snowfall. And I have just measured 28cm - and it's snowing quite handily at the moment too. We do have light snow forecast for the day. Would be great if it continued like this for a while. This overnight haul will have helped add some depth and conditions should be good. The top Takenokoyama pair lift at Naeba is now open. And the downhill run at GALA Yuzawa is now open. In fact, we are getting to that point in the season where most ski areas are either fully open or nearly there. As such we'll make a few adjustments to the information presented in the report from tomorrow. (Sometimes too much detail can confuse!) Oh yes, Kagura have announced that the top Number 5 lift will be opening from 1st January. --------------- 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, Super Broadway, Swan, Super Swan) The Falcon downhill courses is open Official snow depth: 130cm ---------- Ishiuchi Maruyama Lifts & courses: All three base areas and most courses open Night skiing until 8:00pm (Main Entrance area every day; Hatsukaishi Entrance normally only on Saturdays) Official snow depth: 120cm ---------- Iwappara Lifts & courses: All main areas are open Night skiing until 8:00pm (Number 1 and 2 pair lifts) Official snow depth: 70cm ---------- Joetsu Kokusai Lifts & courses: All main areas are 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: 140cm (top) ---------- Kagura Lifts & courses: All main areas are open Official snow depth: 150cm (top) 90cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 30cm ---------- Kandatsu Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating (A, B, C and D) Most main courses now open Open for night skiing (until 2:00am) on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before national holidays Official snow depth: 130cm ---------- Maiko Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 10 lifts operating Most courses now open Official snow depth: 180cm (top) 60cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 30cm ---------- Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lifts & courses: All courses open The top pair lift is only open on weekdays and holidays Official snow depth: 150cm (top) 80cm (base) ---------- Naeba Lifts: Most areas now open Night skiing until 8:30pm (Number 4 romance lift and Number 5 high speed lift) Official snow depth: 120cm (top) 70cm (base) ---------- NASPA Ski Garden Lifts & courses: All lifts operating All main courses open Official snow depth: 130cm ---------- Yuzawa Kogen Lifts & courses: Mostly open Official snow depth: 90cm (top) 30cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 30cm ---------- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Lifts & courses: All lifts operating 8 courses open Official snow depth: 100cm ---------- Yuzawa Park Lifts & courses: All lifts operating Most courses open Official snow depth: 80cm Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Friday 30th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 118cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (26th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 118cm 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 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 123cm Posted on Saturday 31st December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. It has been snowing on and off since yesterday, though there's not that much to report in terms of new cm. Maiko is reporting up to 15cm with Kagura (-9C temp reported) and Ishiuchi both reporting 5cm, and that's what we have measured at our point in town. It is snowing lightly this morning in a similar fashion and about 0C. The 'heavy snow' being forecast for late tomorrow into the next day looks like it would be a good way to start the new year! On this last day of the year, there's night skiing until 2am at Kandatsu and no doubt various celebrations going on, including fireworks. Things will probably be more lively than they have been the previous few years. The increase in overseas visitors has definitely been noticeable, that is surely to be expected due to the changes this year. Just how many overseas visitors will be around for the season remains to be seen. But, hello and welcome all! :) The ski area list (below) has been simplified to reflect that most ski areas are now mostly or fully open. We will be keeping an eye on any specific news and letting you know about it. Stay safe and see you next year! --------------- Ski area information for Saturday 31st December 2022 Ski areas in Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma region (listed in alphabetical order). All of the ski areas in the region are now either mostly or fully open. 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: 170cm The Central Area, Northern Area and downhill course are open Ishiuchi Maruyama Fresh snowfall (reported by the ski area): 5cm Official snow depth: 130cm Night skiing until 8:00pm Iwappara Official snow depth: 70cm Night skiing until 8:00pm Joetsu Kokusai Night skiing until 9:00pm Official snow depth: 140cm (top) Kagura Fresh snowfall (reported by the ski area): 5cm Official snow depth: 180cm (top), 120cm (base) The top Number 5 lift will open from 1st January Kandatsu Snow Resort Official snow depth: 140cm Night skiing until 2:00am The D lift normally only operates on weekends and holidays Maiko Snow Resort Fresh snowfall (reported by the ski area): 15cm Official snow depth: 180cm (top), 65cm (lower) Night skiing until 8:00pm (Maiko Area) Muikamachi Hakkaisan Official snow depth: 150cm (top), 80cm (base) The top pair lift normally only operates on weekdays and holidays Naeba Official snow depth: 120cm (top), 70cm (base) Night skiing until 8:30pm NASPA Ski Garden Official snow depth: 130cm Yuzawa Kogen Official snow depth: 90cm (top); 30cm (base) Yuzawa Nakazato Official snow depth: 105cm Yuzawa Park Official snow depth: 80cm Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Saturday 31st December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 123cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (26th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 123cm 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 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 299cm Posted on Tuesday 31st January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here. The fog is on the upper parts, however, mostly clear to see where you're going mid-distance. There is some wind around higher up. The valley has blue patches and appears to be moving upwards so it may (should?!) clear later on. It's cold but should warm a tad and also into tomorrow. Zao Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Tuesday 31st January 2023 Total snowfall at base 299cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 47 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (on 24th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 162cm observed on 23 days January 2023 snowfall 137cm observed on 24 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 Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 90cm Posted on Thursday 29th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here. Good morning from Yuzawa. Yesterday was a beautiful day and it felt quite warm out there. We have had some light (kind of wet) snowfall early morning, just 1-2cm in places, and light snow is falling now. It is supposed to get heavier later on/tonight and into tomorrow. Some more lifts and runs are opening up as the ski areas do their best to be as open as possible for the busy New Year holidays. A good new layer of snow would be very welcome to further help them - and delight us, of course. Fingers crossed! --------------- 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, Super Swan) Official snow depth: 130cm ---------- Ishiuchi Maruyama Lifts & courses: 10 lifts operating All three base areas open Night skiing until 8:00pm (Main Entrance area every day; Hatsukaishi Entrance normally only on Saturdays) Official snow depth: 110cm ---------- Iwappara Lifts & courses: 5 lifts operating (Summit quad, Chuo quad, Number 1 pair, Number 2 pair AB, Number 3 pair) 12 courses open Night skiing until 7:00pm (Number 1 and 2 pair lifts) Official snow depth: 50cm ---------- Joetsu Kokusai Lifts & courses: 19 lifts operating All areas are 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: 110cm (top) ---------- Kagura Lifts & courses: Kagura is now mostly open (weather permitting) 15 lifts operating 24 out of 32 courses open Official snow depth: 150cm (top) 90cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 1cm ---------- Kandatsu Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 3 lifts operating (A, B and C) 10 courses open Open for night skiing (until 2:00am) on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before national holidays Official snow depth: 95cm ---------- Maiko Snow Resort Lifts & courses: 10 lifts operating 19 courses open Official snow depth: 145cm (top) 35cm (base) Snowfall reported by the ski area since yesterday: 0cm ---------- Muikamachi Hakkaisan Lifts & courses: 4 of 4 lifts operating (the top pair lift is only open on weekends and holidays) All courses open Official snow depth: 150cm (top) 80cm (base) ---------- Naeba Lifts: 9 lifts operating including both gondolas 14 of 24 courses open Summit area not open yet Night skiing until 8:30pm (Number 4 romance lift and Number 5 high speed lift) Official snow depth: 100cm (top) 50cm (base) ---------- NASPA Ski Garden Lifts & courses: All lifts operating All main courses open Official snow depth: 90cm ---------- Yuzawa Kogen Lifts & courses: 4 lifts operating 7 courses open including the downhill course Official snow depth: 60cm (top) 20cm (base) ---------- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort Lifts & courses: All lifts operating 9 courses open Official snow depth: 85cm ---------- Yuzawa Park Lifts & courses: All lifts operating Most courses open Official snow depth: 70cm Yuzawa Now 2022-2023 season Data as of Thursday 29th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 90cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (26th December) November 2022 snowfall 0cm December 2022 snowfall 90cm 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 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