Have a bunch of Telemark Skiers from Sweden in Nozawa at the moment. Reckon they could learn a few tricks from 65 Year old Kondo san!
Base up top: 380 cm Temperature; -7 Degrees
Base at bottom; 260 cm
New Snow: 10 cm up top
Nozawa pulling the winter Jacket back on today. With about 10cm dusting overnight and big flakes were falling early this morning. Has backed off a bit now and even saw a bit of blue sky but still falling lightly.
Temps are back down to -7 degrees up top and nice to see after the warmish weather of the past few days. Has been handy on the snow-clearing front though. Yesterday was a huge day in the Village with everyone pitching in to clear the snow off all the onsens and community centers. Amazing what some warm weather and a bit of elbow grease can achieve in a day!
Hear the neighbours snow blower back in action again this morning though so think everyone is anticipating some decent dumps ahead. On the radar nothing huge expected but should be consistent and the heaviest is due tomorrow then a bit of sunshine for the coming weekend, which should be a busy one in town.
Yesterday had mixed reports with wet snow falling up top was probably not the best day of the season but some said the groomers were pretty fast and fun in places. Today should be much better up there and more goodness ahead.
Light dusting in Nozawa overnight with more on the way
Oyu is the most famous Onsen in town and one of the prettiest. Great foot spa just opposite too to kick back and people watch. Photo by Julie Jobson, thanks Julie
Base up top: 380 cm Temperature; 0 Degrees
Base at bottom; 280 cm
New Snow: 10 cm up top
If you are considering a day off then today may be your day. Bad news is it is raining in the Village at the moment, has been most of the night. Rain on a ski trip is a bit like rain on your wedding day, never a great thing! Good news is that they are reporting snow up top 10cm since close of lifts. Also freezing levels are set to drop from tonight and moderate snowfalls should follow!
The other good news is it is one of the first days of the season we have not had to shovel buckets of fresh snow to get the car out!
Yesterday was a great day on the mountain with lots of sunshine in the morning and then the clouds rolled in later in the day. Was a clear day so made for some good photos
Anyway, good day to get into one of the 13 free Onsens in town. If you go to the Tourist information office you can get a book and if you go to all 13 Onsens can score a free bandana. Otherwise there are a number of private ones to explore including the new Furusato which has an outdoor onsen and Arena where you can also get a bite to eat at the restaurant or get a massage to ease those mountain aches!
Great light yesterday on the slopes. Eric Balshan captured this great shot of the Yamabiko quad. Thanks Eric
This is what a 4 meter base looks like in Nozawa Onsen. The Otagiris from Bun Bun standing tall
Base up top: 400 cm Temperature; -5 Degrees
Base at bottom; 290 cm
New Snow: 0 cm
Experiencing a bit of a spike on the thermometer in Nozawa this morning. Currently 5 degrees at the front door and expected to stay warmish throughout today.
The weather is coming in from the south and bringing a warm current from Okinawa with it. The weatherman is telling us to expect a bit of rain at the Village level later today but should be snow up higher with the freezing level well above sea level where it has been sitting for the past few weeks.
It is set to drop again from tomorrow night though with low temps and snow on the forecast. Yesterday was a nice day on the slopes with clear skies and fun conditions. Should be similar today. This change in temps will most likely heighten avalanche danger so take care if venturing away from the groomed runs.
Next weekend we have the Snowsplash on Saturday night with limited tickets available and a cool line up it should be a good night. On Friday night will be running a soba making and eating night at one of our neighbours places for anyone keen to see this well kept art and taste the delights!
The art of soba making alive and well in Nozawa Onsen. Matumura san making some precision cuts.
Great way to finish a perfect day on the slopes with a beer at the Villa Nozawa Ice Bar
Base up top: 410 cm Temperature; -5 Degrees
Base at bottom; 310 cm
New Snow: 15cm
Snow at night and sun during the day that’s what we like to see! Has been a while since we had that pattern in Nozawa. Most of the time has been just snowing, which is not a bad thing at all.
Snowed overnight heavy at times but only averaged out to about 15cm of fresh. Should be a nice top up though and make for an awesome day on the slopes. No one has been back down yet to give me an update, which is always a good sign.
The weekenders from Tokyo should begin to roll out of tow n in the next few hours and will leave us with a quiet resort for the weekdays. Tomorrow should be sunny then have consistent falls forecast for the rest of the week. Where else would you want to be!
Good day today to clear the roof off the house, which has almost 2 meters of snow on it. Normally I clear it twice in a season on average. This will be the second time in just over a week!
Nozawa Cottage looking very cool, but the slope front view is slowly disappearing!
The Holt Family enjoying the sunshine and fresh snow yesterday in Nozawa. By Mark Jobson
Base up top: 420 cm Temperature; -7 Degrees
Base at bottom; 315 cm
New Snow: 2cm
Yesterday was the goods as far as ski days go with all the elements coming together there were lots of very happy people rolling down the slopes.
Did not get any snow overnight for a change, which was kind of nice and after a bit of light snow this morning the sun is out again. Not sure how long it will last though. Forecast is for the next big system to hit on Monday night.
The sun yesterday was a blessing and helped a lot with the snow clearing efforts. Everyone that was not up the mountain was in to it and it is amazing what can be achieved in a day. A big thank you to all the resort staff, lodge staff and the community as a whole for your efforts. Has been a big extra workload clearing all the snow this season but everyone worked together and greeted the guests with a smile as always.
Should be another great day up the slopes today but a bit busy with the weekend crowd. Quite a lot of fun events ahead in Nozawa during February and March including the Jazz Festival on February 18th and then various festivals thru March, with all this snow it is going to be a great time to be in the mountains.
I asked this elderly couple if I could help. They said 'no it's dangerous' ! Ganbate ne
The snow started dumping around sunset last night and within about 3 hours we had accumulated over 30cm. It was heavy and beautiful to watch as everything just got completely covered in the white powder.
It kept going throughout the night and up top we had a huge 75cm fall at Uenotaira. We had only been expecting 20cm max!
This morning the sun has come out and it is a perfect blue bird day in Nozawa. The sun is most welcome and will hopefully help with the huge recovery effort in clearing the snow from the Village today.
On the slopes this is a day most people wait their whole lives for! A massive 460cm record level base, over 60cm of fresh powder, the sun is shining and the slopes are empty. If you are here enjoy it, if not get on a plane, train or bicycle and get up here!
Everyone is running for first tracks today. Hachiman had plenty in the sun!
One wrong turn in the deep powder at the moment can mean some serious digging.
Base up top: 415 cm Temperature; -12 Degrees
Base at bottom; 315 cm
New Snow: 38cm
30 plus centimeters of snow again overnight in Nozawa. It is just part of the routine now to wake up and clear a foot of snow off everything before the day begins!
Imagine waking up and the grass had grown a foot overnight can be hard work but snow is a lot more fun than grass.
Yesterday was pretty harsh conditions up on the mountain. Getting off the gondola at Uenotaira felt a bit like we had arrived at the base camp for a North Pole expedition. If you could get into the valleys and out of the wind and driving snow though it was pretty nice and some fresh tracks to be had on most of the less frequented runs.
The constant snow is also playing havoc with the local train from Nagano to Togari Nozawa Onsen station. It is stopped to clean snow off the lines now but should be back running this afternoon.
The forecast believe it or not is for a bit of sunshine amongst the snow showers over the next few days then further ahead the snowatahon should continue…
Keep your head up, spring will eventually arrive in Nozawa
Nozawa Onsen is starting to look like the famous snow wall region of Tateyama. Getting higher by the hour
Base up top: 380 cm Temperature; -8 Degrees
Base at bottom; 290 cm
New Snow: 23cm
Hard to believe January is over and it was one of the snowiest we have had for a while. There were not many days that it did not snow in January! Looks like February has taken over where January left off with snow cascading pretty heavily from the sky today too.
The last two years in February we have had a warm spell shoot thru, kind of hoping we get it this year too. Time will tell but at this stage it is looking like life in snow motion will continue in Nozawa
It is cold today too, when I woke up my hot water bottle was frozen and I got an ice cream headache from just drinking the tap water! Pretty windy up high, they had to close the Nagasaka Gondola today for a few hours but it is up running again now.
On the mountain the powder party continues and guys were getting some amazing runs yesterday that will continue today as well with 20cm of fresh being recorded. The base figure is down however but may be just that the powder was blown around overnight.
Outllook is for moderate falls all day then heavy tomorrow afteroon. We may get a bit of sun Friday and Sunday but otherwise it is all snow marks on the forecast. Walk tall and carry a big shovel!
Heading back from the Onsen last night. Magic walls of snow
After so much snow falling in Nozawa it was very nice to see the sun again!
Base up top: 410 cm Temperature; -7 Degrees
Base at bottom; 305 cm
New Snow: 20cm
Here comes the sun…
Has been a while but yesterday afternoon the sun burst on to the stage to create a magic day on the slopes.
With a 420cm base, a good overnight dump and very few crowds the stage was set for perfection. Snow conditions were excellent under foot on the groomers and up on the slopes of Yamabiko there was even a good coverage of powder that remained untouched for most of the morning.
Had some snow last night but the sun is out again this morning so should be another amazing day. Visibility is looking pretty good up top too so a chance to take a good look around.
The clearing of snow continues in the Village, the roofs are lined with people doing their best to take some of the weight off. Trucks and shovels are going hard below to take it away. A big ‘otsukaresama’ and well done to everyone in town for their efforts in the extreme conditions we have experienced.
The outlook is for more snowy days ahead. Not as heavy as was previously expected but still consistent good moderate falls for a while to come will keep you posted.
Think you have a hard job? Spare a thought for the Nozawa Onsen Postman rain, hale or 400cm of snow he delivers.
Lubo the snowman lapping up the powder in Nozawa on the Pontoons
Base up top: 420 cm Temperature; -11 Degrees
Base at bottom; 300 cm
New Snow: 45 cm since close of lifts last night
Hard to believe but still snowing in Nozawa and has not stopped. This is one of the most consistent runs of heavy snowfall I can remember. Who knows if it keeps up we may challenge the next record of 530cm base set on February 5th 2006. The forecast is showing more moderate to heavy falls on the way so it may be a reality.
They have already started to dig out some of the snow below the lifts as they are becoming dangerously close to the runs below in places.
Yesterday on the mountain was another ridiculous day with more powder than a Johnson and Johnson factory! The sides of Skyline were like a natural half pipe with snow from the middle being pushed high up on the sides.
Today is even better with a lot less people to compete with for fresh tracks now the weekend crowd has gone. The official reports are showing a massive 45cm up top but less down low may have had something to do with the gusty Antarctic type conditions last night. There are fresh lines on offer everywhere, it is deep and mind blowing powder!
In the village now we are really praying for a break in the downpour so we can clear some of the snow before it gets dangerous. At this stage no sun on the horizon just more snow so for the lucky ones on the mountain strap on the powder boards and enjoy!
Check out a day in the life from the door step of Villa Nozawa in this cool time lapse movie put together by Mark Jobson. Nice when the groomers roll in on the cat track above the lodge and the lights pretty awesome. Thanks Mark
