Japan Snow Wrap – Spring Has Sprung
Cat skiing has never looked so good. Image:: Niseko Photography www.nisekophotography.com
Japan Snow Wrap
The land of the Long White Cloud more than deserves its on snow wrap… with a plethora of resorts large and small all over Japan this wrap could grow very long very quickly so here are a selection of the better known resorts, and their conditions are indicative of what can be found everywhere.
Spring has certainly hit Japan, the weekly snow totals have withered down to almost nothing this past week and in some places the warmer temperatures have brought on some rain. But cold weather is on the way and with it perhaps some late season wintery days so don’t hang up the planks yet.
Hokkaido
Niseko
Recent snow: Only about 20cm all up in the last week
Coming snow: Not much, some bits and pieces in the middle of the week and perhaps a few flurries on sunday – total not more than 10cm
Conditions generally: Spring has come to Japan’s powder paradise and the snow knows it. Plenty of delightful spring skiing about if you look for it but the in the resorts it might be best to stick to the groomers unless you like the sensation of your teeth rattling in your head.
Furano
Status: Open
Recent snow: Around 40cm since last Wednesday
Coming snow: Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday night there should be some consistent, if light, snowfalls. Then it’s clear skies for the week, cold though.
Conditions generally: The nice little top ups are refreshing the slopes, but thanks to some melt-freeze the under-layer is probably best described as ‘crusty’.
Rusutsu
Status: Open
Recent snow: At most perhaps 15cm in the last week.
Coming snow: Tuesday night may deliver a few centimetres and there’s some promising movements on Sunday but overall it’s going to be a fairly dry week.
Conditions generally: It’s spring at Rusutsu too… the base is holding up nicely and it’s still pretty chilly but the sun is making itself known.
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Good times at Hakuba. Image:: Phoenix Hakuba www.phoenixhotel.jp
Honshu
Status: Open
Recent snow: Not much to report – precipitation on Monday but falling partly as rain. The upper slopes did ok, as much as 25cm around the peaks but that’s been the only snow reported this week.
Coming snow: The dreaded ‘R’ word – rain on Tuesday, maybe some snow flurries later in the week but temperatures are going to be mostly in the positive for the week.
Conditions generally: The base has lost 10cm – 20cm this week and with the sunshine expected to continue it’ll probably lose a little more. Still some fun spring riding to be found though.
Shiga Kogen
Status: Open
Recent snow: Not much, just daily sprinklings in between some sunshine
Coming snow: The weekend looks promising, light to moderate snow beginning on Friday morning and continuing until Sunday afternoon, temperatures styaing down around minus 4 – perfect powder weather!
Conditions generally: It’s been a bit windy, which has scoured some of the snow and eaten away at the base, but it’s going to stay cold so there could be a few good days coming up.
Nozawa
Status: Open
Recent snow: A weekly total of about 30cm up top, a little rain down low.
Coming snow: Rain on Tuesday but it’s going to get cold again before the weekend and there should be some snow on Friday and Saturday
Conditions generally: The rain hasn’t been amazing but the base is holding up well and if there are some March snowfalls on the way things could get amazing again.
Zao
Status: Open
Recent snow: 25cm on Saturday and a little more on Sunday – though that fell as rain lower down.
Coming snow: Little bit of rain to start the week but temps will drop and it should snow moderately on Friday and Saturday.
Conditions generally: Right now its sleeting rain and blowing hard, not fantastic but this coming cold snowy weather might just revive things nicely.
Hakuba forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Niseko forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
