Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 216cm Posted on Tuesday 26th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Morning from Shiga Kogen. The sometimes very strong winds from yesterday have calmed down somewhat this morning, though it is still windy in places from what I hear, and might still affect some more exposed lifts. I am actually seeing some sun at the moment, after a very pretty sunrise earlier. Right now the clouds are gathering and it is generally cloudy with decent visibility. Snow is expected later and potentially heavy snow over the next few days. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 26th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 216cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 169cm reported 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 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 20cm Snowfall at base this season 357cm Posted on Tuesday 26th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . Nice snowfall overnight, nothing too heavy. Yet. The forecast is for the heaviest snow tonight, and it looks very likely over the mountains. It was clear out very early this morning (the sound of snowplows still gets me up early in the season; time to get ready to clear out the snow) but there was snow blowing up high over Mt. Myoko. Pretty windy at moments too, with a strong wind coming from the ocean to the west. Hopefully week get a nice big dump of snow. Yes, it’s hard work clearing up the driveways and parking lots, but that’s part of life in Myoko. And I am up early today, so I’ll give as many new reports as possible, but many don’t come out until around 9 am. Akakura Kanko: 140 cm, -4° Akakura Onsen: 155cm, -5° Ikenotaira Onsen: 75cm, -3° Myoko Suginohara: 100cm, -3° (no new report yet) Seki Onsen: 150 cm, -5° Myoko Ski Park: 90 cm, 4° Kyukamura RunRun: 170 cm, -1° Tangram Ski Circus: 100 cm, 0° Madarao Kogen: 100 cm, 0° Myoko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 26th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 357cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 54cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 61cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 296cm 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 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 Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 152cm Posted on Tuesday 26th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning from Nozawa. Bit of a curious one this morning. After the rain/snow mix that we got yesterday turning into snow proper later on and apparently set for the night - I was expecting to wake up to snow falling. But there are breaks in the cloud and even a bit of sun breaking through at times this morning. Still, that is not set to last with snow on the forecast for the day and the 'main event' - heavy snow - due tonight into tomorrow. That sounds good to me. We do actually have fresh snow on the ground. Not so much on lower levels but the resort reported 15cm yesterday afternoon and another 20cm this morning so I make that over a foot of fresh snow on the top Yamabiko area. That sounds good to me, I know where I am heading. Like I said, good snow expected into tomorrow and beyond so hopefully the whole mountain will be getting a significant upgrade! Nighta operations are scheduled for every day over the New Year period, from Thursday 28th December until Wednesday 2nd January. Nozawa Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 26th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 152cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 41cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 21cm reported on 2 days December 2017 snowfall 131cm 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 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 11cm Snowfall at base this season 222cm Weather overview Light snow Wind Moderate Temperature - Visibility Fair Posted on Tuesday 26th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Morning! The resort is reporting 11cm of fresh snowfall this morning, I am measuring a little less but still good to see a new layer. We are expecting more though and some bigger numbers over the next few days. Earlier on in particular things were clearer but the clouds have been moving in and fingers crossed we'll be seeing heavy snow very soon. Lift operations remain the same for the moment. Bring on the heavy snow! Madarao Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 26th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 222cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 49cm (on 14th December) November 2017 snowfall 60cm reported on 3 days December 2017 snowfall 162cm reported on 9 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 147cm Posted on Tuesday 26th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Lots of strong wind yesterday which ended up affecting lifts. It was one of those days that is probably best reserved for a soak in the onsen. This morning it has started snowing again and the webcams show some poor visibility out on the slopes. Here's the fresh snowfall that resorts are reporting this morning: - Hakuba Cortina 5-10cm - Hakuba Goryu 1-5cm - Hakuba 47 0-5cm - Hakuba Happo-one 2cm So just a bit of fresh snow out there for the moment, but the promised heavy snow still seems to be imminent and I should be reporting some good numbers over the next few days. :) It looks like most areas are able to open as normal this morning though I notice that the Skyline Number 2 pair lift at Happo-one will be delayed due to maintenance. See you tomorrow. Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Most lifts (apart from a few lower lifts) are operating Courses open: - The majority of course areas are (at least part) open - Areas still closed: Kurobishi off-piste, Nakiyama Wall, Nakiyama North, Central, Shirakaba North Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 185cm - Usagidaira: 110cm - Lower: 50cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 2 & 4 are operating - Scheduled to be open for nighta until 9:30pm, daily in the Toomi area Courses open: - All courses apart from Cosmo River, Straight Whisky, Snow Diving and Adventure are open Official snow depth: - Top: 205cm - Toomi: 70cm - Iimori: 35cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Line D are operating Courses open: - All main courses are open - The Tree Riding Zone is now open (Gate 3 closed) Official snow depth: - Top: 165cm - Base: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Most lifts are now operating Courses open: - All courses areas apart from Kane-no-naru-oka 2 are open Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 175cm - Han-no-ki: 175cm - Maruyama: 45cm - Shirakaba: 60cm - Oya-no-hara: 45cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 35cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Number 5 are operating Courses open: - Ikenota - Ikenota Forest - Hieda Forest - Mt Hieda 1 - Mt Hieda 2 - Mt Hieda 3 - Itadaira - Ipponmatsu - Rabbit - Snake - Kamoshika Official snow depth: - Top: 161cm - Base: 85cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Operating lifts: - Gondola - View 2 - 4 East - 5 South - Paradise triple - Line Courses open: - View C - View D - East - South - Gezan (part) - Sunny Valley (part) - Paradise (part) - by1 (part) - by2 (part) Official snow depth: - Top: 100cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 3, Alps Number 7 and Alps Number 10 are operating Official snow depth: - 70cm Hakuba Valley Kashimayari Operating lifts: - Number 1, 2, 3 and 6 lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Sanosaka Operating lifts: - All three lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Tuesday 26th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 147cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (21st November) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 100cm reported on 12 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 482cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! Again! (Remember to take the Christmas tree down this morning before you go out...) It may be Christmas Day, but I'm afraid I cannot report lots of fluffy white snow to you this morning. Instead, I'm lumped with talking about very mild conditions, wind and rain. Yuck. Of course things can't be perfect all the time. Not even in Niseko 17/18. But the good news is that we are looking at a quick turn around with conditions and snow is due to be falling by this evening - possibly much sooner - and then we are on for snow falling throughout the coming week and heavily at times. And we'll need to keep an eye on the winds as well. But we should be able to forget this rainy blip quite quickly. My recommendation is some bonus festive toast with extra jam this morning and a relaxing day, perhaps a good soak in an onsen. Or if you are particularly keen you could perhaps bravely battle the conditions; though wind looks like it's going to be playing against you though with mostly only lower lifts looking to be open at the start of the day. See below for the situation at 8:30am. I will bring you much better news tomorrow morning. Promise. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6.00am: +5°, rain, snow melt. Moiwa 800m : +2.4°, ESE6.4m/s, fog. Annupuri 1150m: +2°, light easterly winds, thick fog. Hirafu 1250m: +1°, SE10m/s, fog. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:S8m/s. Kamui Cape: SW10m/s, 987hPa, wave 0.9m. Above zero temperatures have made runs difficult to groom. A low pressure system will pass through before noon. Expect temperature drop, blizzard and conditions to deteriorate even more than now on the mountain. With the rain and heavy melt snow, snow bridges over the creeks can easily collapse. Also under lift lines, off the side of the course and even snow on the roof will crumble easily. This snow is heavy and very dangerous. If you get buried you cant inflate your chest and will suffocate. Winter rain causes unexpected problems. It's no fun riding in these bad conditions. Make flexible plans according to the situation. The snow is soft and skiis tips can dig into the snow, careful going fast, crashing and breaking bones. It is foggy with poor light and bad visibility, better not go out of bounds today. Stay in the ski resort. To avoid accidents all gates are closed today. Dont duck ropes to ride out of bounds. No1 tip for things to do today: go to an onsen. --- Monday 25th December 2017 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Ace Number 4 and King Number 2 are operating ** Strong winds are affecting all but the lower lifts at the start of the day Official snow depth: - Top: 270cm - Base: 110cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts are operating ** Strong winds are affecting Gondola, Jumbo 3 and 4 lifts at the start of the day Official snow depth: - Top: 210cm - Base: 160cm Niseko Village Lifts scheduled to be operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating ** Strong winds are affecting Gondola and top Wonderland lift at the start of the day Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm - Base: 170cm --- 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 Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 482cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 294cm 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 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 285cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Merry white Christmas from Furano. As predicted the rain arrived and it definitely is a front of heavy rain, at the moment anyway. Yesterdays warm temperatures are still here and it will get even warmer today, going up to +5c in the day, before heading back down into solid negatives in the evening. Apart from the rain the wind is likely to increase in intensity this morning to very strong levels which may interfere with lift operations potentially. The good news in all of this is that once the rain has passed a lot of snow will be upon us. In the meantime I'll go and have my coffee, open my presents and wait for the rain to ease up. Furano Zone open. Kitanomine Zone open. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 285cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (5th December) November 2017 snowfall 125cm reported on 13 days December 2017 snowfall 160cm 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 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 211cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Morning from Shiga Kogen. Happy Christmas. It has started snowing now and strong gusty winds are blowing... we're at the start of a storm which will hopefully bring us a decent amount of snow over the next few days. It should be getting much colder too - relatively mild for the moment. Wind will probably be around as well but hopefully it won't affect operations too much - I'd check with the resorts themselves though if you plan to get out in this. All areas of Shiga Kogen except Hasuike are now at last part open. Official snow depths numbers reported by different areas of Shiga Kogen: Most areas of Shiga Kogen is now at least part open. Please note that these numbers are the official numbers that ski resorts publish. Giant 50cm Higashitateyama 70cm Ichinose Family 90cm Ichinose Diamond 90cm Kumanoyu 65cm Maruike 30cm Nishitateyama 40cm Okushiga Kogen 120cm Sun Valley 30cm Takamagahara Mammoth 90cm Terakoya 70cm Yakebitaiyama 120cm Yokoteyama 70cm Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 211cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 164cm 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 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 145cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Merry Christmas and good morning from Hakuba. It would have been nice to be able to report fine clear skies after 30cm of fresh snow overnight but unfortunately it's a much less appealing set of things to report this morning. It's a mix of rain/sleet down below and snow and wind up top. And actually as I am about to post this report the rain is turning into snow in some base areas which is good to see and hopefully we'll be getting snowed on properly down here too sooner than later today. And I am pleased to see that the forecast is still looking good for decent snow for most of this week. Fresh snow to report from the upper areas this morning is 5cm by Happo-one, 1-3cm by Hakuba Cortina, and 47/Goryu are also reporting up to 10cm of snow. Early on this morning strong winds are affecting the top Line E lift at Hakuba 47 and it looks like many lifts are on hold at Tsugaike Kogen and the top lifts at Happo-one are also affected. That's about it for today. Hope to bring you news of fresh snow on the ground tomorrow morning. I hope you have a good day wherever in the world you are! Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Most lifts (apart from a few lower lifts) are now operating - Wind affecting top lifts at the start of the day Courses open: - The majority of course areas are now (at least part) open - Areas still closed: Kurobishi off-piste, Nakiyama Wall, Nakiyama North, Central, Shirakaba North Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 165cm - Usagidaira: 115cm - Lower: 45cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 2 & 4 are operating Courses open: - All courses apart from Cosmo River, Straight Whisky, Snow Diving and Adventure are open Official snow depth: - Top: 205cm - Toomi: 70cm - Iimori: 35cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Line D are operating - Top lift affected by wind at the start of the day Courses open: - All main courses are open - The Tree Riding Zone is now open (Gate 3 closed) Official snow depth: - Top: 165cm - Base: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Most lifts are now operating - Wind is affecting many lifts at the start of the day Courses open: - All courses areas apart from Kane-no-naru-oka 2 are open Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 175cm - Han-no-ki: 175cm - Maruyama: 45cm - Shirakaba: 60cm - Oya-no-hara: 45cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 30cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Number 5 are operating Courses open: - Ikenota - Hieda Forest - Mt Hieda 1 - Mt Hieda 2 - Mt Hieda 3 - Itadaira - Ipponmatsu - Rabbit - Kamoshika Official snow depth: - Top: 155cm - Base: 85cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Operating lifts: - Gondola - View 2 - 4 East - 5 South - Paradise triple - Line Courses open: - View C - View D - East - South - Gezan - Sunny Valley (part) - Paradise (part) - by1 (part) Official snow depth: - Top: 100cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 3, Alps Number 7 and Alps Number 10 are operating Official snow depth: - 80cm Hakuba Valley Kashimayari Operating lifts: - Number 1, 2, 3 and 6 lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Sanosaka Operating lifts: - All three lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 145cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (21st November) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 98cm 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 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 482cm Posted on Sunday 24th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Merry Christmas. Yes, here in Japan Christmas Eve (night) seems to be 'Christmas' more than Christmas Day itself. If that clumsy explanation makes sense! It's a night filled with joy, mostly featuring couples or families enjoying some traditional Kentucky Fried Chicken and delightfully light and fluffy decorated sponge cakes. And on the subject of delightfully light and fluffy - actually, I don't have any cm of fresh snowfall to report this morning. Doh! There was actually some light snow falling at times during the day yesterday, but it didn't amount to much in the end. That was all expected of course. No need to evacuate seeking better conditions just yet with regular snowfall - heavy at times, with added strong winds - due to be with us come tomorrow. Don't be too shocked if it rains before it snows again though. It shouldn't last long. For the moment early this morning there is a lot of cloud around (bit of sun peeking through in places) and it is relatively mild and calm. Lots of people were enjoying some gate action yesterday, though hearing various reports of some 'ducking' going on too. Let's respecting the rules, folks. There're really not there just for the sake of having some boring rules. And I think it is always good manners to respect the rules of places you are visiting. Anyway, enjoy today. And prepare for what's to come! --- With most lifts now operating I have adjusted the resort specific information bit below. I'll continue to update the official snow depth data as well as noting any resort-specific information in the space below every day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6.00am: -2°, no new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m : -4.1°, WSW1.2m/s, no new snow. Annupuri 1150m: -6°, no new snow, calm. Hirafu 12500m: -8°, no new snow, calm. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:SSW4m/s. Kamui Cape: SW10m/s, 1018hPa, wave 0.9m. The atmospheric pressure is stable and weather is calm. As a low pressure system approaches this afternoon expect temperature to rise, southerly wind to pick up and wet snow start to fall. From observation, data and snowfall transition the general avalanche risk is low. Gates are expected to be open this morning. Listen to the patrols advice. Yesterday was the first day peak gates opened this season and lots of people used them to ride out of bounds. There was no accidents but some people were still ducking ropes. Thanks to all who respect the rules. Although today's avalanche risk is low we never know what is going to happen in the mountains. Always use caution. The weather is expected to deteriorate this afternoon. Head home a little earlier today. At Annupuri 1000m on the ridge side, the cornice has grown to about 7m high and 150m long. Today the grooming machines will flatten it out, keep your distance while they are working. Be careful when visibility is bad, the cornices are very high at the moment and easy to fall off if you don't see them. The weather is turning bad today. Make decisions based on the current situation. Niseko is paying serious attention to the safety of users. Have a good day. --- Sunday 24th December 2017 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - All lifts except Ace Number 4 and King Number 2 are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 285cm - Base: 135cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - All lifts are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 210cm - Base: 160cm Niseko Village Lifts operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm - Base: 170cm --- 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 Sunday 24th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 482cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 294cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 482cm Posted on Saturday 23rd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Santa is in town. Reports from Nozawa this morning are obviously 'fake' - perhaps my reporting friend down there has just been misled... ...and the resorts are opening up top gates for him. According to the Avalanche Reports, gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 should be opening this morning. Hurray! Yesterday we enjoyed some lovely weather in the afternoon. Blue skies and sunshine. Marvellous. I have 7cm of snow to report this morning from my base and it's mild - well, relatively mild of course, with temps currently hovering around zero. Light snow is falling here in Hirafu as I write this but I think we can expect it to ease off this morning and we may get some more sun between now and tomorrow evening. I have just taken a quick look at the forecast. Late Sunday-early Monday onwards looks pretty good for potentially heavy snow and strong winds. Another storm looks to be on the horizon. Until now, pesky winds haven't been much of an issue this season; that may well change come early week. Perhaps Santa doesn't have any control over that kind of thing. In the meantime, I hope you have a good Saturday. More people piling into Niseko now as things get more lively by the day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -1℃, 5cm of low-pressure snowfall. Moiwa800m: -1.6℃, S1.4m/s, heavy snowfall 15cm without snowdrifts development. Annupuri1000m: -2℃, light NW breeze, 15cm snowfall. Hirafu1200m: -3℃, light breeze, 10cm snowfall and bad visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW9m/s, Kamui cape SSW2m/s, 1014hPa, 0.6m waves. The isobars are spread out, however a low-pressure area is hovering above Niseko, generating 10-15cm of humid snow and falling. The snowdrifts that formed yesterday are stabilizing with time and the avalanche hazard is lowering. The current snowfall is likely to slide in 40°steep slopes. Danger of falling cornice on the peak ridge is lowering. Peak chairs are scheduled to run from the morning. Gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 are also scheduled to open today. Looking at the snowfall transition and observations, the avalanche risk under treeline is relatively low. Avoid cornices and knolls and ride one by one. If stopping halfway on the slope, choose a spot away from avalanche path. The Niseko Rules have been established in order to protect all resort users’ safety and freedom to ride in the out of bounds area. Please respect it for your own sake. Do not duck ropes. Collapsing cornices sometimes trigger an avalanche. Extra caution is required in Higashi-One. Visibility is bad, be vigilant. Precaution is key to avoid accidents. Have a nice weekend. --- Saturday 23rd December 2017 What's planned to be open today in Niseko (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts operating: - Hirafu Gondola (* nighta) - Ace Number 1 pair lift - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift (* nighta) - Ace Number 3 pair lift - Ace Family quad lift (* nighta) - Holiday Number 1 pair lift (* nighta) - Swinging Monkey - King Number 1 pair lift - King Number 3 quad lift - King Number 4 Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - All lifts operating Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - All lifts operating Niseko Village Lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Banzai Chair - Community Chair (* nighta) - Upper Village Gondola (* nighta) - Village Express (* nighta) - Wonderland Chair --- Official resort snow depths on Saturday 23rd December 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 295cm Base - 145cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Top - 210cm Base - 160cm Niseko Village Top - 220cm Base - 170cm --- 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 above. Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 23rd December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 482cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 294cm 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 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 208cm Posted on Saturday 23rd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. Just a light dusting of snow early this morning but the clouds have been clearing up and currently the sun is shining down on us. So here we are on 23rd December and from today most of Shiga Kogen is - at least part - open. We're not at 'fully' open yet, but the main skiable connections are not mostly available. Terakoya and Higashidateyama are notable exceptions; I can clearly see that the latter is in need of more snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 23rd December 2017 Total snowfall at base 208cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 161cm 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 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