Waking up snowy Nozawa

Yesterday offered a lovely respite from the constant Snowy winter days we had been experiencing, with gorgeous azure skies and sunshine that defrosted cold bodies. It was so warm it almost felt like a spring skiing day up on the mountain. The day was filled with the echoes of snow sliding off village roofs. From the top of Yamabiko, you could see all the way to the Sea of Japan. But this morning, the clouds have descended and every one in town is waking up to lovely large flakes lofting from the sky.

Great vibe in town last night too with the Taiko drums, Ski History Parade and Junken competition. Have not seen so many people in town for a while now.

It should be a great day out riding with 15cm of fresh top up on the slopes. Get up early and claim those first tracks. Remember Gondola opens at 8am this long weekend.

TODAY:

Temperature at the top; -4 degrees

New snow since yesterday; 15cm

Base at the top; 190cm

Snow conditions; A fresh dusting of powder. Watch out for the ungroomed tracked out runs and bumps from yesterday’s skiing session.

Weather; Snowy for most of the day but easing

A new music bar is opening up in town on the 10th of January.

LIFTS IN OPERATION:

Nagasaka and Hikage Gondola’s 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 including Skyline 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.

Yesterday’s crowds gathered to watch and enjoy traditional Japanese drumming.

SNOW FORECAST:

After a nice top up of snow this morning, it will be a clear night ahead. There will be sunshine tomorrow during the day with another larger 30cm dump in the evening. From Thursday, the spring like weather makes an appearance again for a few days. By the weekend, the temperatures are forecast to plummet again and a large snow storm is on the way by Sunday. 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 on line.

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.