Independent snow and weather reporting from the Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 23cm Snowfall at base this season 444cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good morning from Naeba! It's still snowing here and it's showing no sign of clearing yet. The snow is much lighter than it has been, and the cloud base has lifted significantly improving visibility. It's still moderately breezy out there so be prepared for a cool day and the possibility of some lifts being placed on standby. The pistes are still fresh and fun, with some pockets of powder hidden around and about. The forecast looking forwards is for this storm system, "Claudia", to clear the valley today and for the weather to let up until Monday evening. We are expecting lower wind speeds, slightly warmer temperatures and less precipitation during this period. However, on Monday it's looking as though we will be diving straight into "Storm Dougle" with snow predicted to continue from Monday well into next week. Jaakuna! Naeba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 444cm Number of days snowfall observed 19 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 79cm (reported on 14th December) November 2017 snowfall 46cm observed on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 398cm observed on 17 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 23cm Snowfall at base this season 259cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning from a cold and snowy Zao. As it should be! A good 20cm of fresh snow on the ground to report to you as continue to fall this morning. On this last weekend of the year there are lots of people around - well, in their hotels and ryokans anyway! And probably on the slopes of the resort today and tomorrow too. Limited visibility on many areas of the resort this morning but with the slopes being pretty crowded... extra care needed. It will be good to get out though with some very fine conditions I expect. I'll be off checking them out myself once I get this report out. All areas of Zao Onsen other than Kotan are open and operating. We can probably expect a nice calm day tomorrow. Looks like the next decent snowfall is due in the first half of the week. Lifts and courses: - Most lifts are now operating and most courses are now open Official snow depths: - Summit area: 105cm - Paradise area: 130cm - Chuo area: 130cm - Utopia area: 135cm - Uwanodai area: 75cm - Oomori area: 80cm Zao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 259cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 24 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (on 25th November and 28th December) November 2017 snowfall 66cm observed on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 193cm observed 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 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 236cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . In this second of my 'coming to you from Nagano' reports about Nozawa (!) there is more snow to report, though some interesting variations in the numbers being reported by the resort - see below, ranging from 5-25cm. My friend on the phone who has a place close to base told me he measured 10cm so that is what goes on the report this morning. (I might adjust that later after talking with more friends and getting back to Nozawa.) The forecast for today is snow at times today and it does look like we will see some sunshine over the region for New Years Eve tomorrow. Floodlit night skiing will be extended to 11:30pm tomorrow night. There'll be some free sake and stuff on offer as well as a firework display at midnight. I'll be back in Nozawa this evening and normal reporting will resume! I'll feel much more comfortable when I'm back in the saddle, so to speak. Fresh snowfall (as reported by the resort): - Yamabiko (1407m): 25cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 5cm - Hikage (660m): 10cm - Nagasaka (615m): 20cm - Karasawa (563m): 5cm Official snow depth numbers: - Yamabiko (1407m): 255cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 210cm - Hikage (660m): 150cm - Nagasaka (615m): 145cm - Karasawa (563m): 130cm All lifts operating except the following: - None! All lifts apparently operating All courses now at least part open except the following: - Challenge 39 wall - Mukobayashi - Grand Prix - Kandahar Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 236cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 53cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 215cm reported on 15 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 Madarao region of Nagano New snowfall at base 22cm Snowfall at base this season 340cm Weather overview Cloud and sun Wind Light Temperature - Visibility Good Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Madarao. Forgive me if my reports are a little later over the next couple of days - it's a rather busy time of year with many promises to keep. I'll try to get them up as early as possible though, promise! Another good 20cm of snow to report to you this morning as we approach the end the year in style and the official snow depth rises to 2m. There is still a lot of cloud around but the sun is also shining through my windows as we speak. It The region will probably have some nice calm weather for New Years Eve - sun and warmer conditions likely - before a return to cold and snow from Monday onwards. All sounds good to me. It's going to be busy busy out there today and tomorrow. Early start tomorrow highly recommended. Madarao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 340cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 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 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 22cm Snowfall at base this season 594cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. And I have another 22cm of quality fresh snowfall to report to you from base this morning. Most of that is from the day yesterday - this morning we are enjoying some blue skies and sunshine and it looks like it will be a lovely day. And that's about all I have to say this morning. It should be a totally excellent day on the slopes. I have started to put together my 'season until now' report that will appear in the first few days of January and in January I will also answer some of the questions that have been sent in over the last few weeks. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -7℃, 15cm snowfall, calm. Moiwa800m: -7.35℃, N3.8m/s, 20cm snowfall, calm. Anupuri1150m: -9℃, light northerly breeze, 20cm. Hirafu1250m: -13℃, light north breeze, 30cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape N7m/s, Kamui cape calm, 1015hPa, 0.8m waves. The isobars are spreading out and a light northerly breeze is blowing. The snowdrift development has settled down and 20-30cm of light snow is blanketing the mountain. According to observations, tests and snowfall transition, the overall avalanche risk is relatively low. Peak gates and gate 7 & 9 are scheduled to open today. Opening time undetermined. Please follow the patrol’s instructions. Always use gates to step out of bounds. Due to short day length at this time of the season, all gates will close at 2pm in order to minimize risk of night search and rescue operations. Please use this information as a guideline only. The abundant snowfall of this season makes it difficult to generalize the evaluation throughout the mountain. According to past incidents, the avalanche hazard from Dec 24th or deeper layer is still to be highly expected in high altitude steep slopes, such as Backbowl walls, Higashi-One cornice slopes and other NE facing slopes. Stay away from valley bottoms, avoid knolls and cornices and always ride one by one. Is your beacon turned on? Are you wearing a helmet? Niseko respects everyone’s freedom to step out of the resort, however is deeply concerned about their safety too. Have a great day. --- Friday 29th December 2017 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: 350cm - Base: 280cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 230cm - Base: 150cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 250cm - Base: 170cm Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 594cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 38 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 28cm Snowfall at base this season 319cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. Yesterday we had a mixed bag of weather - ranging from fine conditions in the early afternoon to snow storm by night. The latter gives us another healthy layer of snow on the slopes this morning. I am measuring 28cm. Snow is still falling this morning and visibility seems rather limited in many areas - a mix of cloud and fog. There's still some wind around in places too, though things are expected to calm down later on. And we might get to enjoy some sunshine tomorrow. Once we get into 2018, more snow is on the forecast. The signs are good for a great start to the New Year. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 319cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 26 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 272cm 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 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 Myoko region of Niigata New snowfall at base 29cm Snowfall at base this season 528cm Posted on Saturday 30th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . More snow through the night, along with some wind, has resulted in just under 30cm of pretty heavy stuff. All good, though, and the slopes need it with a lot of cars heading up the hill from pretty early in the morning. The international travelers might get the attention lately, but there are a lot more Japanese around, especially for the New Year holiday! Akakura Kanko: 220 cm, -6° Akakura Onsen: 255cm, -4° Ikenotaira Onsen: 180cm, -4° Myoko Suginohara: 180cm, -10° (high on the hill) Seki Onsen: 220 cm, -5° Myoko Ski Park: 205 cm, -2° Kyukamura RunRun: 250 cm, -1° (50cm down?) Tangram Ski Circus: 150 cm, -1° (yesterday’s report) Madarao Kogen: 200 cm, -5° Myoko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 30th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 528cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 81cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 61cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 467cm 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 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 Zao region of Yamagata New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 236cm Posted on Friday 29th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Zao. Another 10cm or so of fresh snow on the ground to report and with the New Year weekend nearly upon us there are a lot of people around - and with the possible exception of one or two minor lifts the resort is close on fully open. A mix of cloud and snow is forecast for the day today and into tomorrow and then there should be a bit of a break from the snowfall for a few days with more expected in the first half of next week. Should be good conditions for the weekend. We might even get a bit of sunshine. Lifts and courses: - Most lifts are now operating and most courses are now open Official snow depths: - Summit area: 100cm - Paradise area: 130cm - Chuo area: 130cm - Utopia area: 135cm - Uwanodai area: 70cm - Oomori area: 75cm Zao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 29th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 236cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (on 25th November and 28th December) November 2017 snowfall 66cm observed on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 170cm observed 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 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 Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 25cm Snowfall at base this season 421cm Posted on Friday 29th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here . Good morning! The skies are clearing a little above Naeba and the sun is trying to win out. For the first time since Monday I can see the top of the mountain, despite "Storm Claudia's" slight hangover of very light snow and winds. Only the Takenokodaira Pair Lift is on standby, due to the need to dig out the chairs before they can open it! In total, "Claudia" has gifted us a a lot of new snow, meaning that the mountain looks very different to how it did before Christmas. The pistes will be light and fresh today, but with the wind dropping significantly it should feel a little warmer than it has the past few days. The forecast indicates we should expect light snow for most of the day, with fog and cloud passing in and out of the valley as the day pushes on. We should get a dusting of fresh snow again tonight, continuing through into tomorrow. Sunday is looking like the only dry day this week, with Naeba plunging back into storm mode on Monday, with the heaviest snow forecast for the middle next week. Fun! Dragondola (0900 - 1500)(Final Ascent 1530) Beginner lift No. 4 (0800-2030) High-Speed Lift No. 3 (0800-2030) High-Speed Lift No.4 (0900-1630) High-Speed Lift No. 5 (0830-2030) Prince Gondola No. 2 (0830-1530)(Final Ascent 1600) Prince Gondola No. 1 (0900-1530)(Final Ascent 1545) Takenokodaira Pair Lift (Standby-1545) Naeba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 29th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 421cm Number of days snowfall observed 18 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 79cm (reported on 14th December) November 2017 snowfall 46cm observed on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 375cm observed on 16 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 331cm Posted on Friday 29th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Looking at the trees it seems that the winds have passed us. There is a high cloud ceiling and it has started to snow lightly and will likely do that through the day. While it is a cold start at -8c it will warm up to around -4c , and with the wind gone it will feel warmer than the last few days. The new snow is 2cm but that should grow during the day with continued precipitation. The Kitanomine Gondola got going again yesterday and was well utilized to access some of the great terrain that Kitanomine offers higher up. The weekend looks good in terms of getting to see a bit of sun and hopefully blue sky. Kitanomine Zone open. Furano Zone open. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 29th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 331cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 35 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 205cm Posted on Friday 29th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Good morning all. After all those snowy and windy conditions, things seem a bit calmer this morning... Though having just said that, winds appear to be affecting the top lifts at Hakuba Goryu, Happo-one and a few lifts at Tsugaike too. Hopefully they will get going... there's plenty of people around wanting to enjoy the fresh snow and clearer skies this morning! I can see some blue sky this morning and some sunshine. The only fresh snow being reported by resorts (that I can find) is 10cm on mountain during the day at 47 and 7-10cm by Hakuba Cortina. The forecast doesn't say it is to last though with some more snow due tonight though perhaps not much and decent weather again tomorrow. Into next week and I can see we're due lots more snow which sounds like a very good way to start the year. Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 29th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 205cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 158cm reported on 15 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 226cm Posted on Friday 29th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning. I am actually writing this report (and my report tomorrow) from Nagano. So my information is coming from the resort and their website as well as a phone call from a friend, rather than from my own eyes. The fresh snowfall numbers below reported by the resort is what they reported yesterday plus this morning - the bigger part from during the day yesterday. Still, it sounds like there is a good 20cm up top with just a bit more around base. I see from the webcams too that it is cloudy but there is also some blue sky on show. The forecast seems to be saying that there's a chance of snow during the day and tomorrow as well. Fresh snowfall (as reported by the resort): - Yamabiko (1407m): 23cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 21cm - Hikage (660m): -cm - Nagasaka (615m): 5cm - Karasawa (563m): -cm Official snow depth numbers: - Yamabiko (1407m): 265cm - Uenotaira (1230m): 210cm - Hikage (660m): 150cm - Nagasaka (615m): 145cm - Karasawa (563m): 125cm All lifts operating except the following: - None! All lifts apparently operating All courses now at least part open except the following: - Challenge 39 wall - Mukobayashi - Grand Prix - Hachiman - Kamoshika - Kandahar Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 29th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 226cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 53cm (27th December) November 2017 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 205cm 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 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