Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 50cm Snowfall at base this season 574cm Posted on Thursday 25th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. The headlines say it all today. Lots of fresh snow. 50cm, more or less depending on where you are and if the wind has got to it. Very cold. Windy. More snow on the way. Be careful if you are out riding today. Not friendly conditions. Though some fantastic snow being delivered! Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 25th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 574cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 46 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 50cm (25th January) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 276cm reported on 21 days January 2018 snowfall 251cm reported on 19 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 32cm Snowfall at base this season 688cm Posted on Thursday 25th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good morning! It's a very snowy and cool start today in Naeba, with an additional 32 cm accumulating in the past 24 hours. The air temperature is currently reading -10°C and is not predicted to rise much above this during the day today so be sure to wrap up warm out there. There is a moderate wind in the valley also, which is continuing to blow in more lovely snow. It will likely be a slow start for the lifts again today, due to the new snow and the moderate winds. The pistes, once we can reach them, will be fresh and deep, particularly in some wind-sheltered areas. Stay safe out there today and make sure to stay in bounds in Mt Naeba - there will be plenty of fun to be had on the piste with possible free refills! Looking forwards, we can expect "Storm Finn" to keep bombarding us for a few more days yet. Heavy snowfall is predicted overnight tonight and on Friday night, with moderate snow throughout daylight hours. We can expect today to be the windiest day of the storm, with winds easing overnight tonight. The next break in snowfall is currently predicted to be Sunday morning, with a clear morning being forecast. A smaller squall of snow is expected to pass through Mikuni early next week. Yukigafuru! Naeba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 25th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 688cm Number of days snowfall observed 32 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 79cm (reported on 14th December) November 2017 snowfall 46cm observed on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 400cm observed on 18 days January 2018 snowfall 242cm observed 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 42cm Snowfall at base this season 385cm Posted on Thursday 25th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning from a very snowy and a very cold Hakuba. Mid-winter. Loads of snow. It's here. Fresh snow headlines: Hakuba Happo-one: 45cm (top gondola station) Hakuba Cortina: 30cm (base); 40cm (upper) Hakuba 47: mixed numbers, at least 40cm since last night; they were reporting 30cm yesterday evening Hakuba Goryu: Toomi 10cm (honto ni?!); 40cm (upper) So some very good numbers there. You shouldn't be surprised to be able to find (well) over 50cm of deep out there with the snow over the last few. Lots of the official snow depths have seen big increases over the last few days - as you might expect with all this snow coming on. Check out Happo-one reporting nearly 4m up top there. It is still snowing with more lined up over the coming days. Strong winds are this morning preventing some upper lifts from moving. Some info as available below as of 8:30am but be sure to check for the latest with resorts if you wish to brave the elements and get to that fresh snow. If you do be sure to wrap up extra good and take extra care on the mountain. All this fresh snow is exciting but bring with it dangers. Ki-o-tsukete! Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 25th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 385cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 34 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 42cm (25th January) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 158cm reported on 15 days January 2018 snowfall 180cm 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 Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 757cm Posted on Thursday 25th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning everyone on this very cold morning here in Niseko. I have already spoken to a handful of locals and the talk of the town appears to be that it is 'the coldest morning of the season', and I do not doubt it. After a very fine day yesterday, overnight there has been just over 7cm of snowfall here at base to add to my report. While it's not a huge number, it's top quality snow so conditions should be very tasty out there this morning. Snow is falling as I write the report and it's there on the forecast over the coming days and into next week so we can expect consistent snow - how much? We'll just have to see day by day. I always say I'd ideally like around 25-30cm most nights, followed by some blue skies in a morning - that sounds just about perfect to me. Let's have some of that. Unfortunately, strong winds might well mess with lift operations and gate openings again today. Indeed at the start of the day a number of lifts are on hold. As always, please see the updated info for individual resorts below. Correct as of 8:30am. Be sure to wrap up enough this morning; it's going to be very cold out there. Wouldn't want that the cold to spoil the excite fun! --- Thursday 25th January 2018 Resort specific information (at time of report & subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts (apart from King Number 2) are generally operating - Ace Number 3 & 4, King Number 3 & 4 and Hanazono Number 3 lifts on hold at the start of the day due to wind - 'Early Morning' services from 8:00am until 8:20am (Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift). Until 28th January. 500 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 375cm - Base: 170cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are generally operating - Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo 3 and Jumbo 4 lifts are on hold at start of the day due to wind Official snow depth: - Top: 300cm - Base: 180cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts (apart from the Country Road Chair lift) are generally operating - Niseko Gondola and top Wonderland Chair lift on hold at start of the day due to wind - 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 300cm - Base: 180cm Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 25th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 757cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 58 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 163cm reported on 20 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 19cm Snowfall at base this season 503cm Weather overview Cloud, light snow Wind Light Temperature - Visibility Fair Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning. Nice snow falling last night and there's a good fresh layer of snow outside this morning - close on 20cm - with more lined up over the coming days. Hopefully heavier still ahead of us; though with the quality of snow remaining light and powdery of course. It's good and cold this morning so wrap up well and get out there to enjoy it. Just light snow for the moment and visibility looks fairly decent. Is that even a bit of sunshine peeking through? (Personally I'd prefer full on heavy snow). --- About the volcanic eruption at Kusatsu-Shirane-san in Gunma Prefecture on 23rd January 2018 As you may have heard, yesterday morning there was a limited volcanic eruption followed by an avalanche in western Gunma Prefecture, close to the border with northern Nagano Prefecture. The eruption at Motoshirane happened close to the more famous Kusatsu-Shirane-san - and also the slopes of the Kusatsu Kokusai ski resort. Around 80 skiers were evacuated to an area near the upper area of Kusatsu-Shirane with some trapped in the gondola and on lifts for a while. Very sadly, as a result of this event there was one fatality and a number of injuries, apparently due to flying rocks and the avalanche. As far as we can tell there have been no further eruptions since yesterday morning. Our thoughts are with everyone involved and caught up in this. This incident made the international news with some people visiting Japan asking if their ski resort will be safe, and so we thought we would add this information to our daily reports this morning. The only ski resort affected by this event is Kusatsu Kokusai in Gunma Prefecture. It is currently unclear how this will affect the top area of the resort, but it seems that the lower slopes of Kusatsu Kokusai will remain open today – those slopes are quite a distance from the affected area. (And perhaps this is a good example of how Japanese people are used to living with the threat of earthquakes and volcanos!) The ski resorts in Shiga Kogen (Nagano) and Manza Onsen (Gunma) are the other closest ski resorts, but they are outside of the 2km restricted area -- and are unaffected. And of course, ski resorts that are further away than that are also totally unaffected. The central part of Kusatsu town itself is about 7km away from the volcano and so also unaffected. We hope this information helps. Madarao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 503cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 27 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 58cm (on 27th December) November 2017 snowfall 60cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 280cm reported on 13 days January 2018 snowfall 163cm 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 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 20cm Snowfall at base this season 445cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . There haven't been too many bluebird days this season but today adds one to the total. After yesterdays severe winds left the resort mostly closed, today couldn't be more of a contrast with no wind in the village and mainly clear sky. It is cold though. Don't be deceived by the sun, put on that extra layer and turn on the boot warmers. There is 20cm of new snowfall, which will vary a lot due to the strong wind effect yesterday. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 445cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 49 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (5th December) November 2017 snowfall 125cm reported on 13 days December 2017 snowfall 206cm reported on 22 days January 2018 snowfall 114cm 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 19cm Snowfall at base this season 524cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. I am measuring 19cm of fresh snow this morning. It is snowing now and coming down at quite the pace. I think some will be choosing to sit this out - we're still expecting lots of snow over the next few days. Now to get something off my chest. I can't quite believe the almost total lack of information on the official Shiga Kogen websites about the eruption yesterday at nearby Kusatsu-Shirane. While that unfortunate event may well not be affecting the operations of any of the Shiga Kogen ski resorts - which is important information in itself - it was surely close enough to warrant some information. Surely! I might well be mistaken but I have tried quickly looking at Shiga Kogen individual ski resorts official sources this morning, and the only one that I can see mentioning this is Kumanoyu. Good on you, Kumanoyu. They are correctly saying that it is not affecting the resort. I'll go calm down now. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 524cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 45 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 47cm (4th January) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 276cm reported on 21 days January 2018 snowfall 201cm 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 Shiga Kogen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 410cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Did you see that news about the eruption over in Kusatsu yesterday?! Yikes. Nozawa is unaffected - more on that situation below. Anyway, you want snow news don't you? Here it is: The resort is reporting around 20cm of fresh snow since yesterday morning across the mountain and that is pretty much what I have measured too. So a nice new layer - perhaps not as much as we expected. But the forecast remains snow, snow and more snow over the next few days. So we continue to expect some big numbers. Conditions should be good this morning; visibility somewhat limited on the upper parts of the resort. More snow news tomorrow. Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 410cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 53cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 217cm reported on 16 days January 2018 snowfall 172cm reported on 13 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 19cm Snowfall at base this season 656cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Naeba! We have had another 19cm in the past 24 hours, making the storm total so far to 43cm so far. The pistes are in fantastic condition, with lots of powder stashes hidden around in bounds. It's a slow start with the lifts this morning, most likely due to the fresh snow fall we have experienced over the past couple of days. Light snow is still falling, which will increase to moderate snowfall this afternoon. This evening we should expect another dumping of heavy snow. Temperatures are expected to be cool throughout today, dropping to as low as -12°C overnight tonight. Looking forwards, "Storm Finn" certainly isn't finished with us yet. We continue with our current track record of a entire six day forecast being filled with snowfall, with significant snowfall predicted to continue until at least Saturday. Temperatures are expected to remain much cooler than in preceding weeks, with overnight highs repeatedly dropping below -10°C. We should expect moderate winds to accompany the persistent snowfall through until the weekend. Finally, our thoughts are with all those involved in the terrible incident at Mount Kusatsu-Shirane yesterday. We wish to thank all those who responded to the incident and provided support to those trapped and injured on the mountain. About the volcanic eruption at Kusatsu-Shirane-san in Gunma As you may have heard, yesterday morning there was a limited volcanic eruption followed by an avalanche in western Gunma Prefecture, close to the border with northern Nagano Prefecture. The eruption at Motoshirane happened close to the more famous Kusatsu-Shirane-san - and also the slopes of the Kusatsu Kokusai ski resort. Around 80 skiers were evacuated to an area near the upper area of Kusatsu-Shirane with some trapped in the gondola and on lifts for a while. Very sadly, as a result of this event there was one fatality and a number of injuries, apparently due to flying rocks and the avalanche. As far as we can tell there have been no further eruptions since yesterday morning. Our thoughts are with everyone involved and caught up in this. This incident made the international news with some people visiting Japan asking if their ski resort will be safe, and so we thought we would add this information to our daily reports this morning. The only ski resort affected by this event is Kusatsu Kokusai in Gunma Prefecture. It is currently unclear how this will affect the top area of the resort, but it seems that the lower slopes of Kusatsu Kokusai will remain open today – those slopes are quite a distance from the affected area. (And perhaps this is a good example of how Japanese people are used to living with the threat of earthquakes and volcanos!) The ski resorts in Shiga Kogen (Nagano) and Manza Onsen (Gunma) are the other closest ski resorts, but they are outside of the 2km restricted area -- and are unaffected. And of course, ski resorts that are further away than that are also totally unaffected. The central part of Kusatsu town itself is about 7km away from the volcano and so also unaffected. We hope this information helps. Naeba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 656cm Number of days snowfall observed 31 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 79cm (reported on 14th December) November 2017 snowfall 46cm observed on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 400cm observed on 18 days January 2018 snowfall 210cm observed on 11 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 24cm Snowfall at base this season 343cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Hakuba. Snow and wind yesterday and it looks like we should be getting more of that today too. First up, the all important fresh snow headlines from the ski resorts (what they are reporting): Hakuba Goryu: Toomi - 5cm (!?); upper areas - 35cm Hakuba 47: 20cm-30cm Hakuba Cortina: 20+cm (base); 25+cm (upper) Hakuba Happo-one: 30cm (top gondola station) Hakuba Iwatake: 20cm With the 24cm we are measuring here at base (and 21cm and 30cm at our two other checking points), it looks like you can generally expect 20-30cm and upwards on the slopes this morning. That sounds good to me. And there's more coming in. There's a fair few upper lifts and courses around the valley being affected by the weather conditions this morning and information is changing as I write this. And admittedly confusing me in the process. So in the interest of getting the report online sooner than later - and also not wanting to put out incorrect and quickly outdated info - I'm going to avoid specific lift info. So just the snow depth data updated this morning below. If you are in Hakuba and planning on being out this morning please check with official resort info sources to see what is and isn't open. Snow is forecast to continue through into the weekend. With poor visibility and this sudden increase in snow, do take extra care in these conditions. About the volcanic eruption at Kusatsu-Shirane-san in Gunma Prefecture on 23rd January 2018 As you may have heard, yesterday morning there was a limited volcanic eruption followed by an avalanche in western Gunma Prefecture, close to the border with northern Nagano Prefecture. The eruption at Motoshirane happened close to the more famous Kusatsu-Shirane-san - and also the slopes of the Kusatsu Kokusai ski resort. Around 80 skiers were evacuated to an area near the upper area of Kusatsu-Shirane with some trapped in the gondola and on lifts for a while. Very sadly, as a result of this event there was one fatality and a number of injuries, apparently due to flying rocks and the avalanche. As far as we can tell there have been no further eruptions since yesterday morning. Our thoughts are with everyone involved and caught up in this. This incident made the international news with some people visiting Japan asking if their ski resort will be safe, and so we thought we would add this information to our daily reports this morning. The only ski resort affected by this event is Kusatsu Kokusai in Gunma Prefecture. It is currently unclear how this will affect the top area of the resort, but it seems that the lower slopes of Kusatsu Kokusai will remain open today – those slopes are quite a distance from the affected area. (And perhaps this is a good example of how Japanese people are used to living with the threat of earthquakes and volcanos!) The ski resorts in Shiga Kogen (Nagano) and Manza Onsen (Gunma) are the other closest ski resorts, but they are outside of the 2km restricted area -- and are unaffected. And of course, ski resorts that are further away than that are also totally unaffected. The central part of Kusatsu town itself is about 7km away from the volcano and so also unaffected. We hope this information helps. ----- Hakuba Happo-one Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 360cm - Usagidaira: 225cm - Lower: 115cm ----- Hakuba Goryu Official snow depth: - Top: 300cm - Toomi: 110cm - Iimori: 60cm ----- Hakuba 47 Official snow depth: - Top: 260cm - Base: 80cm ----- Tsugaike Kogen Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 300cm - Han-no-ki: 295cm - Maruyama: 110cm - Shirakaba: 270cm - Champion: 130cm - Oya-no-hara: 150cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 110cm ----- Hakuba Cortina Official snow depth: - Top: 295cm - Base: 195cm ----- Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Official snow depth: - Top: 200cm - Base: 120cm ----- Hakuba Norikura Onsen Official snow depth: - 195cm ----- Hakuba Valley Kashimayari Official snow depth: - 160cm ----- Hakuba Sanosaka Official snow depth: - 115cm Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 343cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (3rd January) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 158cm reported on 15 days January 2018 snowfall 138cm 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 Hakuba. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 21cm Snowfall at base this season 750cm Posted on Wednesday 24th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Gunma Prefecture is a very long way from Niseko, but still some people have even asked me about the volcano that happened down there yesterday, so please do read the message below about that situation and be assured that Hokkaido is 100% unaffected by that unfortunate event. Back up here in Niseko. ...and it is a morning when I can say a hearty (or is that 'heartful') hurray! I have 21cm of fresh snow to report at base. And I'm confident that there'll be a good layer more than that up on the mountain. What's more, the silly strong winds that we had to put up with from yesterday evening have seemingly calmed down. Well, down here anyway. Those winds will have mixed things up out there though so be aware of avalanche danger and be sure to play safe - take care out there. It's surely going to be a fantastic morning here. Good amount of nice fresh snow with cold conditions. The sun is out, just a bit of cloud. Mt Yotei looking particularly beautiful (and wearing a funny little hat). Ace. The forecast still has consistent snowfall lined up over the coming week though, so these early morning weather conditions may not last. Good to get them while you can and indeed the early queues for first lifts shows that there are lots of people thinking the same. Clever folk, people who come to Niseko. ;) --- About the volcanic eruption at Kusatsu-Shirane-san in Gunma Prefecture on 23rd January 2018 As you may have heard, yesterday morning there was a limited volcanic eruption followed by an avalanche in western Gunma Prefecture, close to the border with northern Nagano Prefecture. The eruption at Motoshirane happened close to the more famous Kusatsu-Shirane-san - and also the slopes of the Kusatsu Kokusai ski resort. Around 80 skiers were evacuated to an area near the upper area of Kusatsu-Shirane with some trapped in the gondola and on lifts for a while. Very sadly, as a result of this event there was one fatality and a number of injuries, apparently due to flying rocks and the avalanche. As far as we can tell there have been no further eruptions since yesterday morning. Our thoughts are with everyone involved and caught up in this. This incident made the international news with some people visiting Japan asking if their ski resort will be safe, and so we thought we would add this information to our daily reports this morning. The only ski resort affected by this event is Kusatsu Kokusai in Gunma Prefecture. It is currently unclear how this will affect the top area of the resort, but it seems that the lower slopes of Kusatsu Kokusai will remain open today – those slopes are quite a distance from the affected area. (And perhaps this is a good example of how Japanese people are used to living with the threat of earthquakes and volcanos!) The ski resorts in Shiga Kogen (Nagano) and Manza Onsen (Gunma) are the other closest ski resorts, but they are outside of the 2km restricted area -- and are unaffected. And of course, ski resorts that are further away than that are also totally unaffected. The central part of Kusatsu town itself is about 7km away from the volcano and so also unaffected. We hope this information helps. --- Wednesday 24th January 2018 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts apart from King Number 2 are generally operating - 'Early Morning' services from 8:00am until 8:20am (Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift). Until 28th January. 500 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 385cm - Base: 180cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are generally operating - Top Jumbo lift will be delayed Official snow depth: - Top: 290cm - Base: 170cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts apart from the Country Road Chair lift should be operating - 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 290cm - Base: 170cm Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 24th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 750cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 57 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 156cm reported on 19 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 484cm Weather overview Cloud, snow Wind Light Temperature - Visibility Fair to limited Posted on Tuesday 23rd January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning. It's snowing. Not mad yet, but the forecast is still there and looking good. So strap yourself in and let's get snowed on! I look forward to writing the next few reports. Madarao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 23rd January 2018 Total snowfall at base 484cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 26 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 58cm (on 27th December) November 2017 snowfall 60cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 280cm reported on 13 days January 2018 snowfall 144cm 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 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