Independent snow and weather reporting from the Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 427cm Weather overview Cloudy Wind Light Temperature - Visibility Varied Posted on Sunday 7th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Morning from Madarao. 6cm of fresh snow on the ground to report this morning; the resort are reporting 10cm. Generally cloudy start to the day after early snow has eased off and perhaps we might be able to enjoy some clearer skies. Rain is expected later in the region tomorrow unfortunately and we might not escape it up here. It does certainly look like it's going to be warmer by a fair bit during the day tomorrow. Don't worry though, temperatures should be back down come Tuesday with further snow due. Madarao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Sunday 7th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 427cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 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 87cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 28cm Snowfall at base this season 634cm Posted on Sunday 7th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I bring happy news this morning with some decent snowfall numbers after some good snowing through the day yesterday. I am measuring 28cm here near Hirafu base and I noticed up to 40cm being reported by the Avalanche Report folks. That's a good new layer that will cover up those tracks, even if lots of it was during the day yesterday. Today the forecast is for generally cloudy skies over the region as the early snow eases off and visibility improves (the report below is from earlier, hence the big difference there). Resorts are reporting some wind higher up. I see that the Hirafu Gondola is having some early morning issues and is going to be delayed so some folk are going to be annoyed that they chose that as their first lift. The Annupuri gondola is also operating at reduced speed at the start of the day, presumably due to wind. It is a cold start to the day with tomorrow forecast to be milder - temperatures to rise a little above zero and either wet snow or rain possible. (Nooooo!) Tuesday and Wednesday should see a return to quality snow conditions though. (Hurray!!) I'm going to brave the crowds and have a few hours on the slopes myself this morning. See you tomorrow! --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6.00am: -7°, 10cm new snow, minor snowdrift development. Moiwa 800m : -7°, 30cm new snow, snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -9°, NW15m/s, 40cm new snow, snowdrift development. Hirafu 1250m: -13°, NW15m/s, 20cm new snow, snowdrift development. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:NW17m/s. Kamui Cape: NNE11m/s, 1012hPa, wave 1.3m. Wind and snow from the northwest continues, lots of snow on the west side. Snow drift development has been inconsistent over the last 24 hours due to changes in wind and temperature, creating a weak layer. From observation and tests, drifts are fracturing at 50-100cm. Leeward slopes above 800m avalanche risk is moderately high. Kozan no Sawa sidewall around 1100m, expect fracture to easily occur from rider stimulation. Many accidents have occurred during blizzard conditions on leeward slopes where unstable slabs have formed. All gates are expected to be open. Please listen to the patrols advice. Do not duck ropes. West side tracks are covered and slopes are reset. Snow in the trees is good but a bit deep. Do not stimulate knolls or cornices, this could trigger an avalanche. Do not wait in the valley bottoms, this is where an avalanche will run. Data from Moiwa's zero fighter is unavailable due to wind. It will take a while to get back online, we have had unexpected snowdrifts this winter. Bad visibility and blizzard conditions continue. Be careful falling into cracks or crashing into object. Out the gates is not the ski resort anymore. Make safe desicions based on current conditions. Careless actions can cause accidents. Have a safe day. --- Sunday 7th January 2018 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating; Hirafu Gondola having some technical issues at the start of the day - delayed opening. - '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: 365cm - Base: 175cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating; Gondola operating at reduced speed at the start of the day. - 'First Run Early Morning' services from 7:20am until 8:20am (Annupuri Gondola). Until 8th January. 1,000 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 260cm - Base: 150cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating - 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 6th-8th, 13th-14th, 20th-21st, 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 260cm - Base: 160cm Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Sunday 7th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 634cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 43 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 40cm 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 714cm Posted on Sunday 7th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . A little light snow for what should be a very busy day at the ski areas (second day of a three-day weekend). Just a little fresh snow since last night - about 10cm - still a nice base outside the areas. Tomorrow, who knows; it will get warmer, it’s supposed to rain heavily at night, maybe into Tuesday? Akakura Kanko: 260 cm, -6° Akakura Onsen: 300cm, -5° Ikenotaira Onsen: 240cm, -4° Myoko Suginohara: 210cm, -10° (top) Seki Onsen: 290 cm, -4° Myoko Ski Park: 250 cm, -1° Kyukamura RunRun: 300 cm, -2° Tangram Ski Circus: 200 cm, -5° Madarao Kogen: 220 cm, -8° Myoko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Sunday 7th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 714cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 81cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 61cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 468cm reported on 15 days January 2018 snowfall 185cm reported on 5 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Myoko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 356cm Posted on Saturday 6th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is a nice calm morning and overnight there has been some snow which I have measured to be 5cm. Looking above there are clear skies in the middle of a bit of cloud, and looking up to the ski hill itself there is some valley cloud sitting on the resort. I would expect that cloud on the ski area to lift and disappear during the morning, but while it is there is going to the some limited visibility. While the resort is getting busier there still isn't much in the way of lift queues after the line for the first lift of the day has cleared. Monday is still forecast to be a bit warmer and bring some rain to lower elevations. Kitanomine Zone open. Furano Zone open. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 6th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 356cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 39 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 25cm 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 440cm Posted on Saturday 6th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. I was just over in the Kumanoyu area and there was lovely bright sunshine and blue skies over there. Back here at Maruike it's more of a 'cloudy' look, so varied conditions early on this morning. Feels like it should be a fine day though, with the chance of some snow later on and then back to sunshine tomorrow. Late Monday into Tuesday and beyond shows some exciting snow potential after some milder conditions on Monday. Lower down in the valley they will probably get rained on - hopefully up here we'll miss out on that. One of the advantages of your 'base' being high up! Still a few courses not open but Shiga Kogen is nearly at the 'fully open' stage. Monday being a national holiday (Coming of Age Day) means that we're on for a 3-day holiday for many people. Usually one of the more popular weekends of the season. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 6th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 440cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 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 117cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 606cm Posted on Saturday 6th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I have a bit more fresh snow to report this morning, I am measuring 5cm so it's not a deep layer to completely cover tracks (unless much more fell up top), but is of course welcome. Hopefully there'll be some real-time filling in continuing through the day today ---- and actually, since I started putting this report together it has started coming down very nicely. Come on! Visibility is looking rather limited at the moment as well. After today, no snow expected during the day tomorrow but we should enjoy a return to snow come in the first part of the week, though it may be preceded by some unseasonably mild conditions around Monday. (Fingers crossed we don't get any rain). Monday is 'Coming of Age Day' in Japan and a national holiday which means that it is a three day weekend which makes this weekend as one of the most popular of the season - with Japanese guests anyway. --- From this morning Niseko Grand Hirafu started it's 'Early Morning' service. This is basically the resort operating the Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift from 8:00am until 8:20am with the Super, Furiko, Green, Alpen and Sen-no-ki courses available. And charging 500 yen for it. This 'premium' lift operation is available daily until 28th January. Note that you cannot use any other tickets (including season ticket) for this. The Niseko Annupuri resort area is also opening early over this long weekend. They will operate the Annupuri Gondola from 7:20am until 8:20am and charge 1000 yen to use it. And Niseko Village are also operating their Gondola early this weekend. Their special lift ticket is 1400 yen. I have conflicting feelings about these services. I can understand people wanting to get out for some early fresh snow on some days (of course). But the charges seem a bit mean to me, especially as they even apply for season ticket owners. But there you go... 'it's business' and all that. I might also be a bit blue about it because I am sat here writing these reports every day at that time! Doh. ;) I have added details about the early morning services to the individual resort info bits below. Apologies for not mentioning this yesterday; and yes, I am aware that by the time this report appears normal daytime operations will have started. Gomen, ne. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -4℃, 3cm snowfall, clam. Moiwa800m: -5.5℃, W4m/s, 5cm snowfall with light snowdrift development. Annupuri1150: -7℃, WNW8m/s, 10cm snowfall, light snowdrifts. Hirafu1250m: -8℃, light breeze, 10cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW7m/s, Kamui cape W2m/s, 1006hPa, 0.8m waves. The isobars are spread out and the weather is calm on the ocean and the mountains. Scarce snowfall throughout the area and development of snowdrifts and cornices above 1000m is also minimal. According to observations, test and various data, the general avalanche risk is low. All gates will open from the morning. Ask for advice from the ski patrol before stepping out of the gates. Yesterday’s tracks are remaining, but still pretty good condition for riding. Intermittent snowfall is forecasted to continue. Light is weak and the snow surface is hard to see. Beware of loosing control, hitting obstacles, falling into cracks/holes, they’re difficult to notice until last second. Large crown avalanches are unlikely to occur in the current snowpack, however stimulating snowdrift slopes (under cornices), riding one slope simultaneously or traversing across the whole slope can trigger an avalanche anytime. Airbags will not float if turned off. Just like beacons, simply carrying it will not save your life. Be prepared, be vigilant. Accidents can be avoided by using caution. Have a nice day. --- Saturday 6th January 2018 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are 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: 325cm - Base: 145cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating - 'First Run Early Morning' services from 7:20am until 8:20am (Annupuri Gondola). Until 8th January. 1,000 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm - Base: 140cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating - 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 6th-8th, 13th-14th, 20th-21st, 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required. Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm - Base: 160cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted below (subject to change): * Niseko Grand Hirafu - Ace Family quad, Ace Number 2 quad, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 pair * Niseko Annupuri - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift * Niseko Village - Village Express, Upper Village Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 6th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 606cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 42 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 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 Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 351cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . The crowds seem to be building up in the resort with a decent wait necessary to get onto the Kitanomine lifts this morning. The good news is that there was about 4cm of new snow in the village and double that at the top of the resort, making for some great powder conditions on the trails. The light snow continues to fall so we will probably see another couple of centimetres build up on the ground through the day. It was cloudy at the top this morning down to about the halfway mark but that may lift anytime. The weekend looks to be similar to today in terms of weather, but Monday may see temperatures rise to positives and some rain in the village. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 351cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 38 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 20cm 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 439cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. More snow from yesterday, but this morning things are calmer and clearer... there's even some sunshine at the start of the day and blue skies. Lovely. Going to be an excellent morning to be on the slopes. Cold early on so wrap up well. We may get some light snow at times by tomorrow but sun is expected on Sunday. A return to fresh snowfall looks due early in the week. Monday is a national holiday in Japan, so it's a 'long weekend' coming up. Just a few course areas still not available now - perhaps they will open for the weekend? Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 439cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 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 116cm 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 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 18cm Snowfall at base this season 324cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . It feels cold out this morning! More decent snow to add this morning, adding up the numbers from mid-afternoon to this morning we're looking at over 40cm on the upper areas of the resort. Less so down below but I have measured a respectable 18cm since my report yesterday. It is one of those mornings when visibility is better up top than down in the village where low cloud/fog is making things look pretty thick. Up top better visibility according to the webcams and generally cloudy conditions - and cloudy is what the forecast is for today. Maybe some snow tomorrow though don't expect much. There may also be some sunshine in the mix over the weekend. Lots of fresh snow around though, so should be excellent for the upcoming long weekend. Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 324cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 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 86cm reported on 4 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Nozawa Onsen. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 601cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning from Niseko. Just a dusting of snow this morning and very light snow is falling as I write this. It's not the kind of snowfall that is going to build up into numbers for my report though. The forecast for the day is generally cloudy with this light snow on and off. All lifts around the resorts (apart from that lazy Country Road Chair at Niseko Village) are go this morning and peak gates should be opening. I haven't been able to report much fresh snowfall over the last six reports (here at base of course; more higher up). I enjoyed some fine snow conditions yesterday, and had a good chat on the lifts with some folk who are visiting from Hawaii. They noted how the snow was so much better than what they get back home! Being the mightily popular place that Niseko is with a lot of folk out there, we really need that regular fresh snowfall to fill in all the quickly made tracks. So I feel we could really do with some good old fresh dumpage to freshen things up mountain wide. I'm greedy like that. We can perhaps expect some light snow during the day today and tomorrow, but there's more snow potential lined up there on the forecasts from later on in the day on Monday through Wednesday. And now, it's time for a message that is being posted on all of the daily reports this morning. --- Your questions answered! Why don’t your daily reports appear earlier? * Please note: this is a re-worked and updated version of a message that was posted during last season. To answer this question properly, it is important that everyone understands that SnowJapan is not a ski resort operator. Our daily reports are not official ski resort reports. We are an independent website. Our daily reports are not commissioned by anyone and no business influences the content of our reports. (In fact, some businesses do not like our reports - especially when it is raining, and we say so - but that’s a different story). Data within the report does not get updated automatically - we do a lot of manual checking ourselves every morning. If we did own and operate a ski resort, we would make it a high priority to post snow reports as early as possible each morning. We would report how much new snow has fallen on the upper slopes and base, weather conditions, lift operations and snow depth. We would also have multiple and meaningful webcams pointing out to locations around the resort. And we’d make sure that those webcams were backed up with adequate bandwidth to keep them working properly. We think it is probably reasonable to think that ski resorts might ideally be doing the above things for their customers. But... as I said, we do not own or operate a ski resort. The fact is, a fair number of Japanese ski resorts only post their morning information updates after 8am - and in some cases, it is actually (much) later than that. Our daily reports are generally a mix of observed snowfall data, observed weather conditions, personal comments about what is going on - as well as information/data that has been manually checked from official ski resort sources. This is all in the interest of creating interesting and as-detailed-as-possible reports. If we posted our daily reports much earlier than we currently do (for example at 7am as someone suggested) reports would be missing what we consider to be important information. For example, we would often not be able to include things like how much fresh snow the ski resorts are reporting, or news of any ski lift disruption at the start of the day. Things like that. Rather than simply being a very early morning report mainly for the benefit of people who are going to be queuing for the first ski lift of the day, we like to think of the SnowJapan daily reports more as a season-long ongoing commentary, The reality is of course that people who are lucky enough to already be at a ski resort and preparing to hit the first lifts of the day can get a good idea of weather conditions by taking a look outside the window when they get up, asking accommodation staff and/or checking out official resort sites etc. If we posted our daily reports mostly for the benefit of those first lift people - who very likely only account for a very small percentage of the total number of people reading the reports - they would not be as good or detailed as they are. So, bottom line, we strongly feel that our way of doing things makes for better all-round reports. One more very important thing. There’s also the people who write the reports and their circumstances to consider. There is of course human effort involved in creating the reports. In particular the reports that cover wider areas - for example Niseko, Hakuba, Yuzawa - take quite a bit of time to put together every morning. Checking information, updating data, writing the report, checking… The people who are doing this are not ski resort employees doing this as part of their job. They probably need some coffee before posting. (Toast in some cases). They may need to dig themselves out of their home if it is snowing heavily. And they may need to see to any number of circumstances that life throws at them on any given morning. So please keep all that in mind. We aim to get the reports online as early as we can on every morning throughout the winter season. But there may be times when the perfect plan is not possible. --- There are many people new to SnowJapan using the site again this season and we are experiencing some very heavy traffic. People from all over the world are using the site. That is of course a really great thing and we warmly welcome everyone who is new to SnowJapan; as well as old friends. Thanks for visiting! We are aware that we do some things in our own unique way, and we kind of like that. You’ll probably get used to it if you stick around. If you wish to send us any comments, you can do so here. But please be aware that we are not able to answer specific questions about ski resorts, travel, accommodation and the like. That would be a full time job in itself! Thank you for reading and all the best for the New Year. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -4℃, light dust, clam. Moiwa800m: -6.8℃, W4.4m/s, light snow with moderate snowdrifts. Annupuri1150m: NW15m/s, 10cm snowfall and moderate snowdrifts. Hirafy1250m: -11℃, mild wind, 10cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW9m/s, Kamui cape WSW10m/s, 1014hPa. A moderate NW wind is prevailing in higher elevation under a typical winter pressure distribution. A fair amount of new snow, 20cm, has deposited in leeward valleys and trees. No notable weakness has been observed in the snowpack. The overall avalanche risk is relatively low. Peak gates will open from the morning. Be prepared for backcountry touring and ask information from the ski patrol before stepping out of the gates. Ducking ropes is severely punished in Niseko. Wearing helmets and avalanche beacons are not mandatory, however is strongly recommended. It may save not only your life but others too. There are many hazards present in winter mountains. Never over-estimate your equipment or skills, always be humble, precautious and make conservative decisions in the mountains. Do not traverse across knolls and under cornices. It is common sense to avoid those terrains in order to avoid triggering avalanches. One slide could bury a lot of people skiing below. The anemometer (aka the zero fighter) near gate 10 at Moiwa is almost making a belly landing with the increasing snowpack. Please don’t mess around with it as it’s recording precious and necessary data. The wind has stayed relatively light this season, resulting in an unusual development of snowdrifts. The avalanche forecast in Niseko is based on studying the snowfall transition as well as snowdrifts developments. New snow is a bit shallow, but good quality. Beware of sudden weather changes and low visibility. Have a great day. --- Friday 5th January 2018 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 320cm - Base: 140cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm - Base: 140cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm - Base: 160cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted below (subject to change): * Niseko Grand Hirafu - Ace Family quad, Ace Number 2 quad, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 pair * Niseko Annupuri - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift * Niseko Village - Village Express, Upper Village Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 601cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 41 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 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 31cm Snowfall at base this season 704cm Posted on Friday 5th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . The snowfall has finally stopped; the official total on the storm board was 119cm (with some considerable settling in there, too). The total of some lovely big, sparkly flakes overnight was 31cm. Pretty easy to work with of those of us who must move it. Nice and cold this morning, too! Myoko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 5th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 704cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 81cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 61cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 468cm reported on 15 days January 2018 snowfall 175cm 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 347cm Posted on Thursday 4th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Yesterday was a very good day, with the gondola getting back in operation and a good dump of 12cm of new snow. Suddenly there seem to be more people on the Kitanomine Zone with overseas guests seeming to out number the locals for the first time this season. Today looks like a good one in terms of weather. The high broken cloud is letting through plenty of sun and just a little wind here at base. The wind will be a bit stronger up on the mountain but certainly not gusty. While there is no new snow to report there is still plenty of fun to be had in the 12cm from yesterday. Kitanomine Zone open. Furano Zone open. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 4th January 2018 Total snowfall at base 347cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 37 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 16cm reported on 2 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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