Heavy Snow Nozawa Onsen
Make the most of the fresh snow today as a peculiar Spring front is rolling in bringing warmer temperatures and clear days until the weekend! It’s going to be a cold and windy day though so make sure you’re wearing the extra layers if you’re heading up the mountain.
Japan is world-renowned for having some of the BEST snow in the world…
Why does Japan have such good snow though!?
WELL, there just happens to be a perfect combination of cold air from Russia and China, moisture from the Sea of Japan (which you can see from Yamabiko on a clear day), and the lift when the wind hits Japan’s mountains along the west coast.
It also helps that the Sea of Japan does not freeze as the moisture from the water is absorbed into the atmosphere, eventually falling as snow.
Japan is famous for its deep, light and fluffy powder… The density of the snow is dictated by the temperature of the storm. When a warmer storm passes through, you’re likelier to see thicker, heavier snow as a result.
TODAY:
Temperature at the top; -8 degrees with a wind chill of -24 for most of the day so please wrap up extra warm!
New snow since yesterday; 20 cm
Base at the top; 200cm
Snow conditions; Fresh powder!
Weather; Snowing all day with showers easing from moderate to light throughout the day.
LIFTS IN OPERATION:
- Nagasaka is on wind hold.
- Hikage Gondola is open from 8:30am.
- The Hikage Quad is still closed due to maintenance.
- Please check nozawaski.com for the latest updates and closing times.
RUNS OPEN;
- All runs are open with the exception of:
- Yunomine A, Mukobayashi, Grandprix, Hachiman, and Half Pipe.
- The Snow Park and Kandahar West and East are partially open.
- Please do not ski in restricted areas. There is still insufficient snow cover in many places and it’s dangerous to ski outside of the resort area without proper backcountry experience.
SNOW FORECAST:
It will be snowing all day today, but will ease into the evening. We’ll wake up to a clear day tomorrow and the stars should be out all night too. Thursday and Friday are also looking mostly fine with scattered snow showers. We’ll be above negative temperatures for once! At the moment, the forecast looks to bring moderate snowfall starting Saturday evening.
If you’d like to visit Nozawa Onsen in the coming weeks to make the most of the new snow, check our accomodation availability calendar. Or just email the booking staff on team@nozawaholidays.com for a quote as not all availability is online.
We’ll provide the latest forecast tomorrow so check back then!
While you’re out having fun, tag #nozawaonsenjapan to share you photos and be featured on our stories.