Independent snow and weather reporting from the Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 44cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Cortina are reporting 30cm of fresh snowfall, Tsugaike appear to be reporting 40cm and Hakuba Goryu are reporting 30cm. These numbers are more like it! Less so down in the base areas of course, which is where I report from, but a bunch of new cm. Head up to the mountains though and conditions should be very nice this morning. The Kitaone 3 pair lift at Happo-one is open this morning and it seems the Kitaone course is now available. I'll leave it at that for today. Oh yes, we should be on for more snowfall tonight. Hope you have a fine day. ----- Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Happo Gondola Adam - Kokusai Number 1 pair lift - Kokusai Number 3 pair lift - Panorama pair lift - Alpen lift - Kurobishi Number 2 lift - Usagidaira pair lift - Skyline Number 1 lift - Skyline Number 2 lift - Nakiyama Number 3 lift - Riesen quad lift - Sakka Kita One quad lift - Kita One 3 pair - Grat quad (*sightseeing only) Courses open: - Panorama - Usagidaira - Kurobishi - Skyline - Riesen (some restrictions) - Kitaone - Base areas not yet open - get lifts back down to base Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 130cm - Usagidaira: 100cm - Nakiyama: 15cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - Gondola - Line A B pair lift - Line C quad lift - Line E pair lift Courses open: - All main courses now open - Tree Riding Zones not yet available Official snow depth: - Top: 110cm - Base: 35cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - Gondola (need to take the gondola back to base from the open upper area) - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 3 pair - Alps Number 2/4 pair - Toomi Sky Four quad - Toomi Number 1 pair - Milky Four quad Courses open: - Panorama - Grand Prix - Technical - Super - Toomi (part) - Soft Cream Official snow depth: - Alps: 95cm - Toomi: ?cm - Iimori: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Gondola - Han-no-ki pair - Tsuga Number 2 pair - Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner II - Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner III - Maruyama Number 1 quad - Tsugaike Central Triple Courses open: - Han-kou - Tsuga-no-mori - Forest (upper) - Maruyama (part) - Kane-no-naru-oka (part) - Oya-no-hara (part) Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 105cm - Maruyama: 20cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 10cm Hakuba Valley Kashimayari - Number 2 pair lift - Number 3 quad lift - Number 5 pair lift - Number 6 quad lift - Course 2, 3 and 5A are open Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - Number 1 lift - Number 2 lift - Number 4 lift - Number 5 lift Operating courses: - Ikenota - Ipponmatsu - Hieda Forest - Hieda - Itadaira Forest - Itadaira Official snow depth: - Top: 105cm - Base: 65cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Operating lifts: - Alps Number 1 pair - Alps Number 4 pair - Alps Number 6 pair Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Operating lifts: - Gondola - 4sen East - 4sen North Hakuba Sanosaka Operating lifts: - Number 2 quad lift Hakuba Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 44cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 5cm (6th December and 4th January) November 2019 snowfall 4cm reported on 1 day December 2019 snowfall 28cm reported on 8 days January 2020 snowfall 12cm reported on 4 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 17cm Snowfall at base this season 102cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good news folks. 17cm of fresh snowfall at base. The resort appears to be saying around 40cm on the Daishamen area. Details-details - whatever, there is a decent layer of fresh covering the mountain this morning and surely breathing new life into proceedings. We are also expecting light snow during the day today and some heavier snow again possibly tonight. Nice. --------------------------------- Official snow depth: - 50cm (doesn't seem to have been updated this morning) Planned operating lifts: - Prince Number 1 Gondola - Prince Number 2 Gondola - Takenokodaira pair lift - Number 4 romance pair lift - Number 5 high speed lift - Number 3 high speed lift - Number 4 high speed lift - Hiuchi Number 1 romance pair lift - Dragondola Courses planned to be open: - Many base areas are now open - The upper Takenokodaira course is open - You can now ski or snowboard back down to base from the top of the Number 1 Gondola - Sledding area open in base area - The remaining courses will open up as soon as there is enough snow - The Dragondola is normally operating to get over to the Tashiro Area of Kagura Naeba Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 102cm Number of days snowfall observed 17 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 34cm (reported on 28th December) November 2019 snowfall 19cm observed on 5 days December 2019 snowfall 58cm observed on 9 days January 2020 snowfall 25cm observed 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 Naeba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 26cm Snowfall at base this season 382cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Hello and morning from Geto. A good 25+cm of fresh snow this morning, yey! The resort itself is reporting 30-40cm of snowfall over the mountain. Not much of a wind and quite cold. So I expect it to be a very fine morning. Get wrapped up well and let's enjoying, as they say. Just the Rabbit tree run course open as yet but I would expect more to become available as the snow builds up. Official snow depths: * Top: 210cm * Base: 140cm Planned operating lifts - subject to change: * Number 1 Gondola * Number 1 pair lift * Number 2 pair lift * Number 2 Gondola * Quad lift Courses & Tree Runs - subject to change: * All of the main official courses are available * Rabbit Tree Run course open - other tree run courses closed Nighta skiing operations * Weekends and holidays from until 24th February 2020 Geto Kogen Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 382cm Number of days snowfall observed 24 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 53cm (on 20th November and 5th December) November 2019 snowfall 88cm observed on 4 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm observed on 16 days January 2020 snowfall 87cm observed on 4 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Geto Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 11cm Snowfall at base this season 229cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Kitanomine Gondola CLOSED Kitanomine Snow Escalator CLOSED It is a really nice morning with clear conditions above and the morning sun shining through. It will warm up during the day from the current -12c to around -8c. There has been 11cm of new snow since the last report and this fell mostly during the day, yesterday. Conditions are excellent all over the mountain with plenty of powder on the sides of main courses. Unfortunately the Kitanomine Gondola is out of action and at this stage it is not know how long the required maintenance will take. The front face of Kitanomine that runs where the quad chair is, is now open - this is really good news for beginners and intermediates. Furano Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base 229cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 26 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (19th November) November 2019 snowfall 84cm reported on 7 days December 2019 snowfall 91cm reported on 15 days January 2020 snowfall 54cm 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 Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 29cm Snowfall at base this season 135cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Alright, this is more like what we expect. Just under 30cm of fresh on the ground; pretty heavy, soft hail crystals earlier, but looking a little lighter and ski-friendly in the past two hours. We actually beat the Niigata Prefecture forecast (one we find to be the most accurate) by 15cm or so! And it will keep on going; the forecast until tomorrow morning is 20 to 40cm more. Yea! Akakura Kanko: 100cm, -3°C All lifts operating Akakura Onsen: 70cm, -2°C All main lifts operating Ikenotaira Onsen: 55cm, -2° Capsule pair, Karamatsu pair, Ikenotaira Quad, AB1, AB2 lifts Myoko Suginohara: 85cm, -5° Gondola, Mitahara No. 3 lift Seki Onsen: Open Myoko Ski Park: 50cm, 5° Open Kyukamura RunRun: 90cm, -2° Open Tangram Ski Circus: 40cm, -1° All lifts running Madarao Kogen: 60cm, -3° All main lifts running Lotte Arai Resort 249cm, 0.1° All lifts except Sanryoku No. 2 (report was actually pending at the time of reporting) Kurohime Kogen Snow Park Reopened today! Myoko Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 135cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 29cm (4th January) November 2019 snowfall 11cm reported on 2 days December 2019 snowfall 59cm reported on 6 days January 2020 snowfall 65cm reported on 4 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 353cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here With snow falling yesterday and overnight, I have another measured 15cm of snowfall to report to you this morning. It feels cold out, light snow is still falling early morning and it feels quite calm. Visibility looks uniformly rather limited-low though and there's a bit of a dark feel. Apart from our excitement at 15+cm of fresh snow waiting for us on the mountain, of course. If official sources are correct at time of checking (8:20am), this morning the top King Number 4 at Hirafu is scheduled to be open with the Dynamic course becoming available; it looks like the Ace Number 4 is going to be resting a little while longer. I also see that Wonderland Chair at Niseko Village is on standby, and the Country Road lift is back to resting (...told you it was lazy). I don't have news on gates as yet but the Avalanche Report is saying that they are being prepared for opening 'soon'. Nearly there! ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -9℃, 5cm snowfall in 12h, calm. Moiwa800m: 6.2m/s, 339°, -11.6℃, 30cm snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: 3.6m/s, 359°, -13.0℃. Hanazono 720m: 4.8m/s, 324°, -11.6℃. Annupuri 1000 snow depth 120cm. Sea of Japan Benkei cape: NNW10m/s, Kamui cape: NW7m/s, 1014hPa, 1.9m waves. The snow-clouds above the Sea of Japan have disappeared and the weather is getting better under a moderate wintery atmospheric pressure distribution. A light 30-40cm snowdrifts are present in leeward slopes under 800m. According to all data and observations, the overall avalanche risk is low today. However, a thin surface slab slide should be expected in steep 40°slopes. Bushes are still thick under 700m elevation. Ride one by one and avoid stopping at the bottom of the gully to avoid accidents. All gates except gate 6 remain closed, but are being prepared for opening soon. There will always be a certain level of risk riding the out of bounds area. Guides and tour leaders are responsible for the group’s safety. Always be prudent. We strongly recommend wearing a helmet and carrying avalanche gear (beacon, helmet, probe), some food, a bivy tent and a rope. The snowpack may be shallow, but the quality is prime. Do not cross ropes/nets to access fresh tracks. ----- Niseko Grand Hirafu Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 230cm - Base: 85cm All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following: - Ace Number 4 All courses normally open EXCEPT the following: - Onsenzawa - Large - Miharashi Scheduled lifts that operate late: - Ace Family quad until 8:30pm - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad until 8:20pm - Hirafu Gondola until 8:10pm - Holiday Number 1 pair until 8:30pm ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 130cm - Base: 75cm All lifts normally operating: - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 quads ----- Niseko Annupuri Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 130cm - Base: 85cm All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following: - Jumbo Number 4 Scheduled lifts that operate late: - Jumbo Number 1 quad until 8:30pm ----- Niseko Village Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 130cm - Base: 85cm All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following: - Country Road Scheduled lifts that operate late: - Annupuri Village Gondola until 8:00pm - Village Express until 8:00pm - Banzai Chair until 8:00pm Niseko Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 353cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 35 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (2nd January) November 2019 snowfall 85cm reported on 10 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm reported on 21 days January 2020 snowfall 61cm 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 Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Geto Kogen region of Iwate New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 356cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Geto Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning. Well, 6cm of fresh snow to report this morning since my last report. The resort itself is reporting 3-5cm since last night. So not huge numbers, but as always we will gladly accept as the official resort depth now approaches 2m. Last year on this day the official snow depth up top was 305cm. We are still forecast further snow over the next few days along with cold conditions and stronger winds at times. Just a light wind at the moment this morning though. I was curious. This season so far I have observed 356cm up until today. I looked back at my reports from last year. On 3rd January 2019 I had already observed 479cm of snowfall. So were are a fair bit behind on last season but still, 3.5m at base can't be bad and there have definitely been some very good conditions to enjoy. Here's to many more of those!0 Geto Kogen Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 356cm Number of days snowfall observed 23 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 53cm (on 20th November and 5th December) November 2019 snowfall 88cm observed on 4 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm observed on 16 days January 2020 snowfall 61cm observed 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 Geto Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 69cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Zao. Fine start to the morning with some blue sky and sunshine amongst the remaining cloud. Forecast do show the chance of further snow later today and tonight though as well as tomorrow night. I'm liking the look of what is brewing for mid week next week best, at the same time not wanting to wish time away! I would like to correct my number from yesterday by adding a few more to my report today as on going out I think I under-represented. Lifts normally operating: - Shobunuma Number 2 pair - Katakai triple - Chuo Number 1 pair AB - Chuo Number 2 pair AB - Mikaeri pair - Diamond Number 2 pair lift - Utopia Number 2 pair lift - Onsen Number 1 pair - Zao Chuo Ropeway / Zao Ropeway / Sky Cable Ski course areas normally open: - Chuo (part) - Utopia - Paradise (part) - Shobunuma (part) - Diamond (part) - Uwanodai (part) Official snow depths (as reported by resort): - Summit area: 40cm - Paradise area: 40cm - Chuo area: 40cm - Utopia area: 40cm - Uwanodai area: 25cm - Oomori area: 10cm Zao Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base 69cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 16cm (on 5th December) November 2019 snowfall 8cm observed on 3 days December 2019 snowfall 51cm observed on 10 days January 2020 snowfall 10cm observed 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 39cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Hakuba. This morning the resorts are reporting around 10-15cm of fresh snowfall on upper areas with up to a handful of cm down at base. You can now ski or board back down from base at Tsugaike Kogen (no need to get the gondola back down). You still need to get the gondola back down from the top area at Hakuba Goryu; and also get the gondola or lifts back down to base at Happo-one. Looking forward to some more snowfall today, hopefully getting heavier later on and overnight tonight. And late tomorrow into Sunday too. Onegai shimasu! Hakuba Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 39cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 5cm (6th December) November 2019 snowfall 4cm reported on 1 day December 2019 snowfall 28cm reported on 8 days January 2020 snowfall 7cm 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 Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 115cm Weather overview Cloud, blue sky Wind Light Temperature - Visibility Good Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Madarao. Earlier this morning it was cloudy (as you can see from the first image below), but as of 9am there is quite a lot of blue sky around and the sun is out too. We are still promised snow later today though, and perhaps a decent amount too. If the forecasts are correct. This morning Madarao resort is reporting '0-5cm' of fresh snowfall and the official snow depth is hanging around at 45cm. I can add a few cm. Nighta tonight at Madarao from 5:00pm until 9:00pm. --- Someone emailed us asking why my observed snowfall number is different from 'other numbers'. Answer = I don't know. I just report what I see. I do not round up or round down. I do not report what I want to see. I report what I see. I also relay to you what the ski resort itself is reporting, and as you notice I sometimes comment on that. And I make a point of never looking at any other information, whether it be in Japanese or English. So that's all I can really say on the subject. Well, online and in public anyway. ;) --- Current operations: Friday 3rd January 2020 Operating lifts & open courses at Madarao: - All ski lifts apart from Number 3A and 13 lifts are operating - All courses apart from the summit area and tree run courses are now open, though the snow cover is not deep - care needed Operating lifts & open courses at Tangram Ski Circus: - All ski lifts apart from Number 2 pair are operating - Sky Love Line course - Primary Line course - Hard Line course - Zigzag Line - Queens Downhill (lower) - Forest Line (lower) - Pantan Line - Green Line Madarao Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base 115cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (on 28th December) November 2019 snowfall 15cm reported on 4 days December 2019 snowfall 73cm reported on 9 days January 2020 snowfall 27cm 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 Madarao. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 18cm Snowfall at base this season 218cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Kitanomine Gondola is CLOSED today. New snow in the village is 18cm. It is still snowing lightly with some morning valley fog. The snow will stop mid morning and then set in again around lunchtime. Temperatures are reasonably mild so it will be a very nice morning out there with all the new snow. With the Kitanomine Gondola closed, Furano Zone will be the best place to be for intermediate to advanced riders. Furano Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base 218cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 25 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (19th November) November 2019 snowfall 84cm reported on 7 days December 2019 snowfall 91cm reported on 15 days January 2020 snowfall 43cm 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 Furano. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 338cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning all and apologies for my late appearance this morning. It would be cool if I could give you some gnarly reason for the delay, but the fact is... I overslept! Doh. A modest 5cm of snowfall to add this morning after that bigger number yesterday. No doubt some of you reading this enjoyed that fresh snow yesterday. I know I did. This morning snow has been falling; it's just light in places and just cloudy in others. As I am about to put this report live, it looks like there might be a few breaks in the clouds appearing... Lifts have started the day on time, though at the start the Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri gondolas are operating at reduced speed due to the wind conditions. Forecasts seem to be showing occasional light-moderate snow over the next few days with clearer skies likely early next week. ----- Annupuri had to cancel their early first tracks gondola service again this morning due to strong winds. (Did they get to do it on any of the scheduled days over New Year? Hopefully they'll be luckier with the weather when they do it again on 11th-13th of this month). The Avalanche Report is talking about the chance of the Moiwa gate opening today but without any definitive confirmation. As of 8:45am I haven't heard any additional information on that. There is still no news on the main top lifts at Hirafu, Village and Annupuri opening just yet. I will of course bring you that news just as soon as I have it. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Mountain base 6am: -7℃, light dusts in 12h. Moiwa800m: 327°8.8m/s, -8.7℃. Hirafu 1000m: 99°3.9m/s, -11.9℃. Hanazono 720m: 2°6.1m/s, -8.9℃. Sea of Japan Benkei cape: NW15m/s, Kamui cape: WSW12m/s, 1017hPa, 2.0m waves. Annupuri 1000m snow depth 120cm. The atmospheric pressure gradient is flattening and the snowdrifts developments are settling down. The newly formed snowdrifts seems stable at Moiwa800m and the avalanche risk in 30°slopes or less is low. The wind-exposed slopes above 750m have formed wind-crusts and the surface is uneven. The snowpack under 800m has stabilized, however possibilities of 80cm thick surface slab avalanches remains relatively high in steep slopes above 800m in Iwaonupuri and Higashione where the temperature remained low. The Sasa bamboo seems mostly buried, however the snowpack is still thin. Beware of falling into creeks under 500m elevation. The water is ice-cold. Route-finding is critical in the backcountry. Moiwa gate 6 is scheduled to open today, however not definite as of this morning. We strongly recommended to wear a helmet, carry a beacon, shovel and probe and know how to use them. Please be safe. ----- Niseko Grand Hirafu Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 210cm - Base: 70cm All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following: - Ace Number 4 - King Number 4 All courses normally open EXCEPT the following: - Onsenzawa - Large - Miharashi - Dynamic ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 130cm - Base: 75cm Ski lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad ----- Niseko Annupuri Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 120cm - Base: 80cm Ski lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Dream Number 1 quad - Jumbo Number 1 quad (until 8:30pm) - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair ----- Niseko Village Official snow depth (reported by resort): - Peak: 120cm - Base: 80cm Ski lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Upper Village Gondola (until 8:00pm) - Village Express (until 8:00pm) - Community Chair - Banzai Chair (until 8:00pm) - Morino Chair - Country Road Niseko Now 2019-2020 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 338cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 34 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (2nd January) November 2019 snowfall 85cm reported on 10 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm reported on 21 days January 2020 snowfall 46cm 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 Kutchan/Niseko. 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