Latest News from Nozawa Onsen

Base up top: 290 cm    Temp Top;  -4 Degrees Base at bottom; 180 cm New Snow since close: 10 cm Weather; Fog   Heavy fog has enveloped the village of Nozawa Onsen this morning inducing a definitive maritime atmosphere about the mountain. Squashed between an inversion layer, it should hopefully clear with an increased wind speed later in the day. Best skiing will be had on tree lined groomed runs where points of focus will improve depth perception. At the moment elevations between 1000-1400m are sandwiched in a clear layer so these altitudes offer the best visibility at this time. Yesterday was a similar story with low fog limiting visibility and light snow showers in upper areas. Again, the […]

Base up top: 295 cm    Temp Top;  -2 Degrees Base at bottom; 190 cm New Snow since close: 5 cm Weather; Light snow Looks like we have some light isolated snow showers across the region this morning. With a less than ideal wind direction, amounts will be fickle compared to forecasted totals but expect these isolated falls to continue all day. We have had five centimetres of fresh fall across the upper half of the mountain, sure to produce some quality riding in most areas such as Yamabiko. I think its safe to say we can add yesterday to the steadily increasing list of superb days so far this season. Deep fresh powder was still available in the early […]

Base up top: 300 cm    Temp Top;  -5 Degrees Base at bottom; 215 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear We woke to a perfect sunny morning, the first truly spectacular morning of the season so far. Views over to the Myoko volcano were something that had to be seen to be believed with an intense alpenglow radiating off the peak in the early morning light. With the depth and quality of snow we have in Nozawa Onsen at the moment, the riding will sure to be top notch. Make sure you pack the cameras to capture the views from the summit! Yesterday was so so epic. Deep perfect snow. Amazing. Again, the best day of the […]

Base up top: 330 cm    Temp Top;  -9 Degrees Base at bottom; 215 cm New Snow since close: 30 cm Weather; Snow How many best runs of the season can you have? If you were to say one, you’d be wrong as this line was dropped more than a few times yesterday. Deep blower dry pow is what we all came here for and it was delivered in ample amounts on Boxing Day as moderate to heavy snowfalls continued from first to last lifts. The winds were also lighter than expected. Epic, just epic. The bets are in that skiing and boarding should be similar to yesterday, perhaps even better as skies are forecast to clear and winds drop […]

Base up top: 310 cm    Temp Top;  -8 Degrees Base at bottom; 215 cm New Snow since close: 75 cm Weather; Snow   Ok, this winter in Nozawa Onsen is getting ridiculous for big dumps. Just another 75 cm overnight, pushing storm totals well over a meter and a half. I hope you all had an awesome Christmas. A bit of a repetitive statement so far, but yesterday was one of the best days of the season. Light, deep powder that challenged worlds arid zones for its dryness. Faceshots were the order for the day, the real issue was avoiding them to maintain a path of visibility. Today should be similar to Christmas day, albeit with stronger winds forecast […]

Base up top: 250 cm    Temp Top;  -5 Degrees Base at bottom; 180 cm New Snow since close: 20 cm Weather; Snow Merry Christmas to all! The snow gods have rewarded us with a fresh dump of snow right on time. 20cm of fresh powder has fallen across the resort, 15cm up top. Why less at the top? Windblown is the word. Look for characteristic wind lips and spines up in the Yamabiko for hurling a few freestyle spins. If your a fair weather skier then stick to the lower slopes that will be more sheltered from adverse conditions. Quite a contrast to yesterday, which saw nice scattered bluebird conditions corresponding with ample fresh powder snow. North facing slopes […]

Base up top: 260 cm    Temp Top;  -8 Degrees Base at bottom; 155 cm New Snow since close: 35 cm Weather; Light snow   Deep snow has once again buried Nozawa Onsen last night. A shift of the wind to the north west has resulted in a dramatically increase snowfall rate and we have accumulated around 35cm across the mountain. There will been excellent riding today especially in the Yamabiko tree area. Yesterday saw less snowfall than expected and as a result in was a good day for the groomers. Up top saw some nice powder amongst the trees. Off piste on the lower slopes were affected by a crust layer, which should be sufficiently buried by today. In […]

Base up top: 240 cm    Temp Top;  -8 Degrees Base at bottom; 150 cm New Snow since close: 10 cm Weather; Light snow   This morning we have isolated light snow showers falling across the resort. Totals have not substantiated to forecast amounts; we have had 10cm on the upper slopes and just a dusting in the village. This system is moving in from the west, not an ideal direction for Nozawa Onsen due to blocking mountain ranges. Again, the best riding will be had today on the well groomed runs, which will be fast and smooth. Yesterday was quite nice, better than expected. Wind and visibility was mostly fine, and the snow was running fast on the groomers. […]

Base up top: 250 cm    Temp Top;  -3 Degrees Base at bottom; 160 cm New Snow since close: 10 cm Weather; Isolated showers   Looks like we were hit by some sour weather last night. Rain has fallen about the village resulting in loss of snow, not really a problem given the deep base. The good news is that the freezing level is expected to drop during the day resulting in snowfalls from top to bottom. Yeahaa! The best riding today will definitely be found on the pistes. Skyline will get your legs burning and Yamabiko will offer plenty of natural features to slash and jump off. For steep fall line skiing head to the Hikage area and take […]

Base up top: 260 cm    Temp Top;  -8 Degrees Base at bottom; 195 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Partly cloudy   A partly cloudy morning today and there is very good news. Today marks the day in which Nozawa Onsen ski resort fully opens. All lifts will be running, depending on weather conditions as will all slopes. With no shortage of powder on offer today looks like it will be epic! Early on its worth exploring the slopes which have been closed without access so far this year. Skyline, Hikage, Kandahar will all be great. Once tracked out head to the treed areas for your fix of powder. Heres an amazing fact for you. Yesterday Nozawa […]