Grasshopper’s Weekly Japan Forecast – 26th December – Two Big Presents of Japow This Week

December 26th, 2019

Mountainwatch | The Grasshopper

 

Japan Forecast – Two Big Presents of Japow This Week

Merry Christmas folks. Here we are on boxing day, gathered around the Christmas Tree, eagerly awaiting to see what the Big Man has brought us this year – it better be good because things have been slow here in Japan.

Luckily for us, it’s exactly what we want – Two big presents of Japow! After unwrapping the first one this Friday, we’ll end up with a brand new 30-45cm on central Honshu and what will be an epic, calm and sunny powder day this Sunday. Hokkaido too will receive a handy 5-10cm.

Present number two will be more prolonged, with snow falling Tuesday through Thursday with 20-40cm of Japow for central Honshu and 10-20cm for Hokkaido.

Eat, drink, snow, ski and enjoy!

Thursday-Friday – Present #1

There’ll be a few tears today before we start ripping into the first big pressie. As a low brews in the Sea of Japan, rain will spread across Honshu from late this afternoon and evening. Some of that will fall as snow above 1500m on central Honshu, but 700-800m on northern Honshu.

After the low passes over Japan Friday morning, freezing NW winds will hit around the middle of the day, turning those tears into joyous snow all the way down to base levels. There’ll be heavy falls across Honshu and light falls over Hokkaido

Saturday-Sunday – The aftermath

By dawn on Saturday, snowfalls will have eased back to spurious, light flurries on Honshu, with Hokkaido also copping a few.

Remaining snowfalls will clear and winds will drop off Sunday morning, and we should even see sunshine as high pressure passes overhead. It’ll be the best powder day on Honshu so far this season.

Monday-Thursday – Present #2

Again, we’ll have more tears before the next present. A second low pops off the continent and into the northern Sea of Japan, dragging in warm winds from the south, and spreading rain over Japan during the second half of Monday.

Eventually the low will enter the Sea of Okhotsk Tuesday morning where it is expected to bounce around at least until the end of Thursday.

Freezing W-NW winds will first descend upon Hokkaido Tuesday morning bringing light, but consistent snowfalls all the way through Wednesday and Thursday.

The freezing NW winds will then hit Honshu Tuesday afternoon, with heavy snowfall initially. Central Honshu will then take a break from the snow on Wednesday, before another push from the NW on Thursday resumes it, with moderate falls on the cards.