Latest News from Nozawa Onsen

The tale of two mountains Base up top: 305 cm Temp Top; -3 Degrees Base at Uenotaira 230cm Base at bottom; 120 cm New Snow since close: 8 cm Weather; Cloud Clearing to Sunshine Waking up to sunshine and 8cm of fresh snow up top today! Pretty nice after a day of heavy rain yesterday in Nozawa. Looking beautiful up top with the white trees and blue skies being revealed. Today is the official start of the spring ski season in Nozawa. This means; • Lift pass price drops to 3500 Yen a day for Adults 1500 Yen a day for Kids • The snow is still good especially up the top with this fresh snow • There is less […]

Base up top: 310 cm Temp Top; +5 Degrees Base at bottom; 125 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Overcast, showers Unfortunately we have had some moderate rain showers this morning which has resulted in a minor loss of coverage on the lower parts of the mountain. The rain has stopped for the time being but is expected to increase later in the afternoon. Strong winds have forced the closure of the Nagasaka gondola however the Hikage gondola is operational. If your heading up today make sure you bring highly waterproof gear. The snow will be fast at least with the pick being mid mountain groomed runs. We expect heavy snow from mid mountain up later tonight. Yesterday […]

Base up top: 320 cm Temp Top; +5 Degrees Base at bottom; 130 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear The long run of spring days has continued today. Partly cloudy freeze thaw conditions are expected today with the groomed runs being firm, softening throughout the day. Off piste areas will produce some excellent spring corn snow. For this time of year the base is holding up really well. Compared to the same time last year we have about a half meter greater snow depth now. This means that an extended period of great spring skiing is expected right to the close of lifts in early May. Likewise yesterday had some outstanding spring skiing on offer. The groomed […]

Base up top: 325 cm Temp Top; 0 Degrees Base at bottom; 135 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear We have another spring stereotype day here in Nozawa Onsen. Clear and warm with a solid base depth of over three meters. Again, as expected at this time of year the best skiing will be on the upper half of the mountain. With the recent liquid pow the off piste areas are starting to come good again; most areas are holding excellent spring corn snow. Groomed runs will also be nice and the park or pipe will be good in the spring sunshine. Yesterday saw thick pea soup fog envelop the entire top half of the mountain right […]

Base up top: 335 cm Temp Top; +3 Degrees Base at bottom; 140 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Overcast Its an overcast morning here today but at least the rain has stopped. Idealy, it fell heaviest during the late afternoon and night. This means the deep persistent slushy layer will have been washed away decreasing stickiness on piste. The forecast suggests we may experience some isolated snow showers about the peaks today but so far none have eventuated. The best skiing today will be on the upper slopes of the mountain. If you found a good location yesterday head to the same spot as it will likely be the same. The park and pipe will also be […]

Base up top: 350 cm Temp Top; 0 Degrees Base at bottom; 150 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Overcast As expected the clouds have rolled in overnight in Nozawa Onsen and we currently have a flat overcast sky. Clouds are at mid level so the entire mountain has good visibility even at the peak. The forecast rain has so far held off which is good. So far this season almost all weather systems have been delayed and so its possible that there will be no rain until early afternoon. While it may sound bad, rain is just what we need here at the moment. A deep surface slush layer has formed when temperatures warmed after the recent […]

Base up top: 350 cm Temp Top; +3 Degrees Base at bottom; 155 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear Its another perfect spring day in Nozawa Onsen. Light winds, cloudless bluebird skies and a perfect deep spring snowpack. For the best riding today head to the upper groomed runs or park. Intermediate to advanced riders will appreciate the Yamabiko groomers and the challenge area whilst beginners should head to the mid mountain green runs. Off piste may have some nice spring corn snow now its sufficiently packed. Yesterday saw nice spring conditions also. Runs were mostly slushy from the outset and forgiving for any mistakes. The snow retained good speed for most of the day becoming sticky […]

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Base up top: 360 cm    Temp Top; +4 Degrees Base at bottom; 165 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear   Today should pretty much be a carbon copy of conditions we experienced yesterday but with slightly warmer temperatures. We currently have an almost cloudless bluebird sky in combination with light winds. The long weekend crowds have headed back home leaving the resort relatively empty. Today the best skiing and boarding will be had on the upper half of the mountain with the lower pistes becoming slower in the spring sunshine. Yamabiko will hold excellent quality snow as usual and the best piste runs will be found here. Off piste held good snow in the north facing […]

Base up top: 370 cm    Temp Top; -4 Degrees Base at bottom; 190 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear   Bluebird skies, check. Cold overnight temperatures, check. Deep fresh pow, check. All the ingredients are there for an epic day of skiing and boarding here in Nozawa Onsen. We hardly could ask for anything better this March, reaching the peak snow depth of 385cm just yesterday. For some of that epic japow head to your favourite North facing tree run or gully off piste. Anything South facing was roasted by the spring sun yesterday and subsequently will have formed a crust layer. We expect temperatures to be warmer today so best to go riding earlier rather […]

Today we hit our peak base for the 2014 Season at 385cm. While most people are hitting the beach the lucky few here and in for one of the best days of the season. March is Magic and don’t write it off for skiing in Japan or you may regret it….