Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 27th of April 2019
It’s probably a little hard to believe after reading the date above but we got some fresh snow overnight. It fell as rain at village level but up on the mountain, a respectable 6 centimetres. There’s even better news. The forecast suggests it will continue throughout the day before giving way to more bright sunshiny days like the one pictured above. This image was taken just a few short days ago. So imagine this scene with a new 6-centimetre layer.
For the rest of this year’s special Golden Week, it looks as though temperatures will either be too dry or too warm to bring more snow. So we’re probably looking at the last fresh stuff of the whole season. Not that we’re complaining. It’s been a magic 2018/19 season here and spring has been no exception.
For those in Japan, you could do a lot worse than make your way up to Nozawa Onsen over the next week. Most of Japan has gone on holidays and it can be very difficult to book accommodation. Luckily, we still have a bit of availability in the village and the festive vibe about the place makes it truly worth it, even if you don’t ski.
There’s also the Nanohana Festival in nearby Iiyama. It’s held every year from the 3rd to the 5th of May with parades, live music and other events.
Meanwhile, back at the mountain… We mentioned that 6-centimetre, late-season blessing we received overnight. Here the official report from the top of the mountain;
At 7:00 am;
Temp at the top; -1C
New snow since close; 6cm
Base at the top; 185cm
Weather; light snow