Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort Snow Update
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort Snow Update
Early season in any Ski Resort anywhere in the world it is a roll of the dice on snow conditions. Sometimes you can get lucky and get an early dump or two and have some fantastic skiing with no one about, like last season in Nozawa when we opened on November 25th. Other years it is a waiting game and you are hanging on the edge of your seat to see the first lifts roll.
We had a nice early dump a week ago now, and there was at least 20cm of fresh deposited on the upper slopes. A few people drove up and got some turns in and if check the cams it is still white on the runs up top today. We even got a little top up last night. So some of the early dumps have stuck to form a base.
Check the Cams here Nozawa Onsen Snow Cams
The question is what is going to happen weather wise from here on in and when will the Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort open? It is all a bit of “Crystal Ball” stuff really and like anywhere in the world weather is unpredictable, even more so in the Mountains. Here is the 9 day Forecast which is not always on the money but over the years has proved to be not a bad measure of what happens. If anything they normally under estimate the snowfall. Note the predictions move and change constantly.
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort Snow Update
What can we take away from the 9 Day Forecast for Nozawa Onsen
- Temps are dropping from tomorrow with Freezing level back down to 1000m mark which means any precipitation that does fall will be snow up top.
- There is a warm bump then for a few days across Japan and good chance of rain.
- It is after that from the 5th of December that looks good. 30cm of snow forecast for the top and then the temperatures and freezing level is heading in the right direction.
Hopefully this is the flick of the “Winter Switch” every year we get that day when it turns into full blown winter then cold temps and lots of snow follow.
Remember a few things
- The weather can change very quickly in the Mountains
- The Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is as keen as you to open and will do as soon as have enough snow on the ground
- This is pretty Normal season if look back over the past 30 Years say at this stage. Maybe a little late but still anything is possible.
If I was a betting man I would now say we may open on Saturday the 8th of December but it is a gamble 🙂
Having been here for over 25 seasons now it is very rare we are not skiing decent snow by mid December, bring it on and hope to see you this season in Nozawa. Either way there will be more snow than we can handle in the not so distant future!
