Independent snow and weather reporting from the Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 7cm Snowfall at base this season 168cm Posted on Sunday 25th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . It is a beautiful Christmas morning here in Shiga Kogen. Some fresh snow on the ground from yesterday and now the sun shining down on us - but it's keeping cold. Perfect really. (For the moment, we could do with more snow of course!) A look at the map and more and more of the resort areas are now open. I'd say it's more like 75% open now which is good to see. Just bits here and there that remain closed. Next up, fully open please! The forecast looks good for decent amounts of fresh snow from Tuesday onwards. Shiga Kogen Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 168cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (24th December) November 2016 snowfall 27cm reported on 5 days December 2016 snowfall 141cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Nozawa Onsen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 89cm Posted on Sunday 25th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Good morning from Nozawa. Happy Christmas! This morning there's some lovely blue sky views to be enjoyed on the upper section of the mountain (so the webcams show me) but here at base as I write my report it's foggy and you can't see much of anything at all. I would expect that bank of cloud to clear fairly sharpish this morning and leave us with a fine day. This morning Nozawa Onsen is reporting 5cm of snow on the upper slopes since yesterday evening and adding that to what fell during the day yesterday brings the additional snow up to just over 10cm at higher elevations and up to 4cm on the base areas. Not as much as we would have liked of course, but a fresh supply all the same. I just spotted Santa strapping some skis on and heading up to the lifts, so he's apparently happy with the conditions. The resort has opened up the Rinkan, Challenge and Hikage course areas appear to be open once again so you can now ski back down to base but be aware that snow is very thin on the ground in lower areas. Not sure I'd be taking my new gear out to ride there just yet. There seems to be some conflicting info from official sources this morning about exactly what is open, so I suggest checking with the resort themselves for the latest if you need that. Personally, I'd just be heading up to the upper areas which are all open... best place to be! The forecast is looking quite promising for around Tuesday-Wednesday and then later in the week as well. Still a chance of rain before snow at lower elevations on Tuesday but that should hopefully quickly be turning into snowfall. Lifts that are planned to be operating: All lifts appear to be operating except for: - Hikage quad - Kandahar pair - Nagasaka quad - Nagasaka pair - Karasawa pair Courses that are planned to be open: - Yamabiko A course - Yamabiko B course - Yamabiko C course - Yamabiko D course - Yamabiko E course - Kokenashi course - Uenotaira course - Paradise course - Paradise link - Mizunashi A - Mizunashi B - Bunabayashi course - Yunomine A course - Yunomine B course - Rinkan course - Challenge course - Hikage - Nagasaka connecting Official snow depths: - Yamabiko: 95cm - Uenotaira: 55cm - Hikage: 25cm - Nagasaka: 25cm - Karasawa: 10cm Fresh snow reported by resort since yesterday morning: - Yamabiko: 11cm - Uenotaira: 10cm - Hikage: 4cm - Nagasaka: 4cm - Karasawa: 0cm Nozawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 89cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (11th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 2 days December 2016 snowfall 87cm 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 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 8cm Snowfall at base this season 134cm Weather overview Clear blue skies Wind Slight Temperature - Visibility Excellent Posted on Sunday 25th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Madarao and Happy Christmas! It's a beautiful morning here with lovely blue skies up there and a real chill in the air too. Really fun day out in the snow yesterday and I even spotted Santa out there. (I heard someone saw him over in Myoko and even Nozawa too - they must have been fakes!) Yesterday Madarao was open for nighta and light snow was falling still but visibility was good. Good to see the floodlights on. The clouds cleared up later on leaving us with this cold morning. Next snow due Tuesday. Lots please! Operating status at Madarao Kogen (at time of report): - Number 1 lift - Number 2 quad lift - Number 5 lift - Super quad lift - Number 11 lift - Number 12 lift - Number 15 lift - Moving walkway - Kids Park - Freeride Park Official snow depth: - 60cm Lifts currently operating at Tangram Ski Circus: - Number 1 - Number 3 - Number 5 - Number 6 Madarao Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 134cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 11th December) November 2016 snowfall 9cm reported on 4 days December 2016 snowfall 125cm reported on 10 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Madarao. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 264cm Posted on Sunday 25th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko and a very Merry Christmas to you all. It was snowing lightly earlier on but that has eased off now and there's more and more blue sky appearing and the sun is currently shining through my window. It is probably going to be a fine day. And look what Santa brought. Just a few cm of fresh on the ground but perhaps more importantly from today the top King Number 4 lift at Niseko Grand Hirafu and the top Jumbo Number 4 lift at Niseko Annupuri debut for the season... and it is now possible to slide between each of the resorts at the top. Yey! Though, the resorts themselves are making a point of warning that conditions aren't great (not sure exactly what they mean by that). It looks like the top lift at Niseko Village isn't budging for the moment. Wherever you are in the world, have a fine day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -5℃, 2cm snowfall and no snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -11℃, W12m/s, light dust. Moiwa 800m: -8℃, W8m/s, 4cm snowfall and no snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW12m/s, Kamui cape W12m/s, 1024hPa, 1.0m waves. Observations and impact test showed that the Dec 19th, 21st, 23rd and 24th layers are stable. Avalanche risk is generally low, except in 40+°steep slopes under chairlifts, cliffbands and course-side banks. The snowpack is still insufficient and the out of bounds areas are closed. Yesterday’s tracks aren’t covered. Beware of recklessly speeding Santa-Claus at the resort! --- Resort specific opening news at time of writing (subject to change during the day): The mountain is nearly (but not yet quite) fully open with top lifts. All resort areas appear to be opening as planned at the start of the day. Niseko Grand Hirafu The top King Number 4 lift is now operating. The top Ace Number 4 lift remains closed. Niseko HANAZONO Resort All lifts generally open. Niseko Village The top Wonderland lift is not yet operating. Otherwise open as normal (the Country Road lift is not usually open). Niseko Annupuri All lifts now operating and open as normal. --- Official resort snow depths as of Sunday 25th December 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 230cm Base - 80cm Niseko Village Top - 130cm Base - 100cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 105cm Base - 80cm --- Night skiing is planned until Monday 20th March 2017 at the Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village resort areas. There is no nighta in the Hanazono area. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 264cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (16th December) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 154cm reported 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 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 23cm Snowfall at base this season 245cm Posted on Sunday 25th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Myoko Now report can be found here . It is really Christmas-y out there today; the trees are covered in white - frosted, we could say - and the sky is a perfect blue. Long-time readers know that I'm not all that crazy about bluebird days during the height of the season. Give me those heavy snows and deep fog to keep the riff-raff out, but even I'll admit that this would be a great day to get out skiing. All the resorts appear to be operating at full strength or close to having all the lifts up and running. Even some of those further south around the mountain who are reporting 40cm or so gave some great skiing, my inside informers tell me. So it's all good, a great big Christmas gift from Mt. Myoko and its big snow shadow to the east. Akakura Kanko: 80cm, -4° Akakura Onsen: 75cm, -6° Ikenotaira Onsen: 40cm, -3° Myoko Suginohara: 40cm, -2° Seki Onsen: 100cm, -5° Myoko Ski Park: 70cm, 0° Kyukamura RunRun: 100cm, -1° Tangram Ski Circus: 60cm, -4° Madarao Kogen: 60cm, -4° Myoko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Sunday 25th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 245cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 53cm (12th December) November 2016 snowfall 12cm reported on 4 days December 2016 snowfall 233cm 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 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 91cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Zao Now report can be found here . Morning from Zao and just a light sprinkling of fresh snow to report. Better than yesterday which was definitely one to forget, though we still of course need a lot more snow to really get things going properly for the season. If you check the forecast you'll see bits of snow falling here and there over the coming week though there doesn't appear to be anything major over the coming week. Hmmm... In the meantime generally the upper areas of Zao Onsen is open with lower slopes and lifts on standby and waiting. The current snow situation means that the planned light up for tonight has been cancelled (as was last night). The following lifts are not operating: Astraea Number 3 pair Kurohime Number 1 quad Onsen Number 2 quad Onsen Number 3 parallel AB Onsen Number 4 quad Zao Kokutai pair Ryuzan pair Karamatsu pair Sunrise pair AB Nakamori Number 1 triple Nakamori Number 2 pair Zao Paradise Number 3 pair Yokokura Number 1 pair A Yokokura Number 2 Astraea Number 1 pair Astraea Number 2 pair Omori quad Official snow depths: Chuo - 50cm Utopia - 35cm Uwanodai - 15cm Paradise - 40cm Juhyo 'Ice Monsters' Light Up night time Zao Ropeway operations December 2016: 29th-31st January 2017: 1st-3rd, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 27th-31st February 2017: 1st-28th March 2017: 1st-5th Operating from 5pm until 9pm; last ropeway up at 7:50pm. Ropeway return charges are 2,600 yen for adults and 1,300 yen for children. In the event of poor weather conditions, operations are sometimes cancelled. Zao Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 91cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 17cm (on 17th December) November 2016 snowfall 11cm observed on 6 days December 2016 snowfall 80cm observed on 12 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 14cm Snowfall at base this season 257cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Wow a perfect morning with great news. There has been an additional 14cm of fresh snow since yesterday. All lifts are operating except the Kitanomine Gondola. More of Kitanomine has been opened up except the terrain that can only be accessed by the Gondola. No wind, blue sky, sunshine and fresh snow will make a great day. With all that fresh snow out there it will be a great powder day. Enjoy! All lifts expected to operate except Kitanomine Gondola. Furano Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 257cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 34 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (8th November) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 19 days December 2016 snowfall 147cm 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 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 6cm Snowfall at base this season 47cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Fresh snow for Christmas, yey! Good morning from Hakuba and things are looking much better this morning. Here's how much fresh snow resorts are reporting this morning: Hakuba 47: 10-15cm at base; 25cm higher up Hakuba Happo-one: 20cm Hakuba Cortina: 17-35cm Hakuba Goryu: up to 30cm on upper slopes That sounds much more like it doesn't it. :) Cortina is back open, runs that had been closed are back open... and things just seem a lot more sane and 'real world'! Phew. I have updated the resort specific information below (as I do every day, so always keep an eye on for the latest details). The snow might ease off sometime during the day today and then we are expecting fine weather tomorrow, with a return to snow around Tuesday. (I'm trying to ignore the chance of rain before snow, perhaps we can will it not to happen). We still need a lot more snow of course, but for the moment it is time to get the gear on and enjoy todays delivery of fresh. Have a fun Christmas Eve, wherever you are. Hakuba 47: Hakuba 47 is currently part open. The resort is reporting 20-25cm of fresh snowfall. Gondola downloading no longer required - you can ski/board to base but not recommended for beginners. The upper course connection with Goryu is now open. Lift & course info: The Gondola, Line A.B, Line C and Line E lifts are operating. All courses now open apart from Route 7 (Route 3 and 8 are back open). The Tree Riding Zone is not yet open. Official snow depth Line C Upper: 90cm Base: 20cm Hakuba Goryu: Hakuba Goryu is currently part open. The resort is reporting up to 30cm of fresh snowfall on upper slopes. Gondola downloading required back to base. The upper course connection with Hakuba 47 is now open. Lift & course info: The Gondola, Alps Number 1, 2, 3, Toomi Sky Four, Toomi Number 1 pair lift and the Milky Four lift in the Iimori area are operating. The following courses are open: - Grand Prix - Panorama - Super - Toomi - Soft Cream Official snow depth Alps: 110cm Toomi: 30cm Iimori: 20cm Hakuba Happo-one: Hakuba Happo-one is currently part open. Lift & course info: The Gondola, Alpen quad, Panorama pair, Kokusai Number 1, Kokusai Number 3 and Kurobishi Number 2 quad lifts are operating. Downloading via Gondola or Kokusai Number 1 pair lift required. The following courses are open: - Kurobishi (part) - Usagidaira - Panorama Official snow depth: Usagidaira: 80cm Kurobishi: 60cm Tsugaike Kogen: Tsugaike Kogen is currently part open. Lift info: The Eve Gondola and the top Han-no-ki pair lift and Tsuga Number 2 pair lift are operating. The following courses are open: - Han-no-ki - Tsuga-no-mori Official snow depth: Tsuga-no-mori: 100cm Han-no-ki: 100cm Oya-no-hara: -cm Kane-no-naru-oka: -cm Hakuba Cortina: Hakuba Cortina is currently part open. The resort is reporting 17-35cm of fresh snowfall. Lift info: The Number 1 pair lift, Number 2 quad and Number 4 pair lifts are operating. The following courses are at least part open: - Ikenoda - Mt Hieda Rinkan - Mt Hieda 1 - Itadaria - Ipponmatsu Official snow depth: Top: 90cm Base: 60cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field: Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field is currently part open. Lift info: The Gondola, 3-sen North and 4-sen East lifts are operating. The following courses are at least part open: - East - North Official snow depth: Top: 50cm Base: -cm Kashimayari: Kashimayari is currently part open. Lift info: The Number 1 quad, Number 2 pair, Number 3 quad and Number 6 quad lifts are operating. Official snow depth: Top: 30cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen: Hakuba Norikura Onsen is currently part open. Lift info: The Alps Number 1 pair lift is operating with one course open. Official snow depth: Top: 30cm Hakuba Sanosaka: Hakuba Sanosaka planned to open but has delayed opening. Please note that Yanaba ski hill will not be opening for the 2016-2017 season. Hakuba Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 47cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 10 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 12cm (8th December) November 2016 snowfall 1cm reported on 1 day December 2016 snowfall 46cm 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 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 32cm Snowfall at base this season 161cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . A very good Christmas Eve morning to you all, and I have good news. A good thick layer of fresh snow has arrived in Shiga Kogen. I measure 32cm. Nice. Perhaps not mid-season fluffy light dry powder, but pretty decent all the same and the amount is important too at this still-early stage of the season. And snow is forecast for the day, so here's to more cm. More runs and lifts open this morning, though still not fully open or fully connected. If we get a bit more today, perhaps tomorrow we'll see even more open. Tomorrow the forecast seems to be calling for clear and sunny skies, so it should be an excellent day to be on the slopes. Hopefully if Santa clears his workload, he might be able to get out on the skis or board too. I wonder what his preferred mode of snow riding is.... Beyond tomorrow the forecast is looking pretty good for decent snow around Tuesday and Wednesday as well. That all sounds good to me. Areas of Shiga Kogen currently open and official snow depths: Please note that all areas remain only part open. Bunadaira 40cm Giant 50cm Higashitateyama 40cm Ichinose Family 50cm Ichinose Diamond 50cm Kumanoyu 50cm Maruike 40cm Nishitateyama 40cm Okushiga Kogen 60cm Sun Valley 40cm Takamagahara Mammoth 60cm Terakoya 50cm Yakebitaiyama 60cm Yokoteyama 50cm Shiga Kogen Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 161cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (24th December) November 2016 snowfall 27cm reported on 5 days December 2016 snowfall 134cm 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 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 9cm Snowfall at base this season 87cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Nozawa Now report can be found here . Ah yes, we like to see snow falling. It's not the driest and fluffiest variety of snow, but it sure is better than rain and so a big improvement on yesterday. There is the best part of 10cm of fresh snow on the ground at base level this morning and 25cm of fresh being reported by the resort up top. Lower courses are not yet able to re-open but they will surely do so just as soon as there's enough snow. Tomorrow the forecast tells us to expect clearer skies and sunshine. Look for the next snow (after today) to be falling around Tuesday. Fingers crossed we can get a fairly decent amount out of today. Conditions should be fun up there on that there mountain. I'm going to go and check for myself. Until tomorrow... Lifts that are planned to be operating: All lifts operating except for: - Hikage quad - Hikage triple - Kandahar pair - Nagasaka quad - Nagasaka triple - Nagasaka pair - Karasawa pair Courses that are planned to be open: - Yamabiko A course - Yamabiko B course - Yamabiko C course - Yamabiko D course - Yamabiko E course - Kokenashi course - Uenotaira course - Paradise course - Paradise link - Mizunashi A - Mizunashi B - Bunabayashi course - Yunomine A course - Yunomine B course Official snow depths: - Yamabiko: 90cm - Uenotaira: 50cm - Hikage: 20cm - Nagasaka: 20cm - Karasawa: 10cm Fresh snow reported by resort since yesterday morning: - Yamabiko: 25cm - Uenotaira: 15cm - Hikage: 11cm - Nagasaka: 11cm - Karasawa: 11cm Nozawa Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 87cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (11th December) November 2016 snowfall 2cm reported on 2 days December 2016 snowfall 85cm 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 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 17cm Snowfall at base this season 126cm Weather overview Snow Wind NW Temperature - Visibility Poor Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Madarao Now report can be found here . Good morning from Madarao. I am happy to report that this morning is much improved with fresh snow. The resort are reporting 20cm of fresh snow and I can attest to 17cm. It's a more winter-like cold as well this morning, I'm not complaining about the need for an extra layer. The snow clouds aren't expected to last through the day and tomorrow clearer skies are forecast but happily it should remain cold. Further snowfall expected around Tuesday. Conditions will be much improved this morning so time to go and have some fun in the snow. Operating status at Madarao Kogen (at time of report): - Number 1 lift - Number 2 quad lift - Number 5 lift - Super quad lift - Number 11 lift - Number 12 lift - Number 15 lift - Moving walkway - Kids Park - Freeride Park Official snow depth: - 50cm Lifts currently operating at Tangram Ski Circus: - Number 1 Madarao Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base 126cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 11th December) November 2016 snowfall 9cm reported on 4 days December 2016 snowfall 117cm 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 11cm Snowfall at base this season 261cm Posted on Saturday 24th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning to you all and Merry Christmas! Having lived in Japan for so long, I sometimes get confused into thinking that 24th December is 'Christmas' - so why not let's just celebrate both today and tomorrow. Hurray! OK, so what do we have going on this weekend and what is Santa bringing us... First of all, fresh snow on the ground at base. I have measured 11cm but it is one of those days where it is rather difficult to put a representative number on it because of the winds. (I realise that some people are probably going to have issues with my number, but I've got to go through the season with consistency so it is the number on my report today). As you can see on the Avalanche Report below, it is reporting very large amounts of snow in places on the mountain. Keep it all in mind. So yes it was full-on wild blizzard weather yesterday here on Hokkaido. Similarly to how it was a couple of weeks ago, Sapporo region got a shed load of snowfall as well. That snow will be good ground work for the Sapporo Snow Festival for sure, but it caused problems over there. The weather conditions were bad enough to close the airport and make road conditions pretty hairy. Here in Niseko the pesky rain in the morning changed into snow around lunchtime and from the afternoon the winds got themselves whipped up into a frenzy with the snow that was falling getting blown about. On a day like today take extra care out there with much deeper wind-blown snow drifts out there in places. Wrap up well too, it's going to be cold. The earlier snow this morning has eased off for now and there's even a bit of blue sky in places as the time approaches 8:30am. Stronger winds on the mountain are still affecting some higher lifts at the start of the day today with my updates on that situation below. --- It is of course Christmas weekend with New Year now just around the corner. Niseko is lively and in party mode and there are more people here who are going to be less tolerant of accepting any kind of 'early-season' excuses for snow conditions less than perfect... we're kind of out of that zone now. People are expecting. Let's hope Niseko delivers - I am confident it will! I'm off out now to go check things out for myself. Have a fun day everyone. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -8℃, large development of snowdrifts, up to 80cm snowfall in past 12hours. Coastal data: Kamui cape E4m/s, 1016hPa, 3.0m waves. Moiwa 850m: -10℃, N6m/s, 100cm snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: -13℃, N20m/s, snowdrifts so deep that snowcats have difficulties grooming the course. A strong northerly wind is persisting above 1000m elevation, making snowdrifts continue to develop. The wind at the base has dropped early morning and light crystal snow is falling. Huge snowdrifts have developed overnight and is sitting on top of Dec 23rd layer. 80cm thick slides have been observed in 800m leeward cornice slopes. According to the observations and weather transition, the avalanche risk is very high this morning. The stabilization of snowdrifts in leeward slopes above 800m is delayed. Avalanches are natural phenomenon that occur when conditions align. Snowfall or snowpack amount is not the essential factor. Many of the avalanche accidents occur during and just after storms. The snowpack will stabilize after a day, better stay inbounds and enjoy the snow in and around the courses. Please respect the Rules. --- Resort specific opening news at time of writing (subject to change during the day): The mountain is not yet fully open with top lifts at three of the main resorts not yet operating. Niseko Grand Hirafu Top Ace Number 4 and King Number 4 lifts not yet operating. The King Number 3 lift is on hold at the start of the day due to wind conditions. Niseko HANAZONO Resort All lifts generally open. However, the top Number 3 lift is on hold at the start of the day. Niseko Village Top Wonderland lift not yet operating. The Niseko Gondola is on hold at the start of the day due to wind conditions. Niseko Annupuri Top Jumbo Number 4 lift not yet operating. Otherwise, open as planned. --- Official resort snow depths as of Saturday 24th December 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 230cm Base - 80cm Niseko Village Top - 130cm Base - 100cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 100cm Base - 80cm --- Night skiing is planned until Monday 20th March 2017 at the Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village resort areas. There is no nighta in the Hanazono area. The lifts marked with a * above are the lifts that are planned to be operating for nighta. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Saturday 24th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 261cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 30 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (16th December) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 151cm 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 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