Base up top: 325 cm Temp Top; 0 Degrees Base at bottom; 135 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear We have another spring stereotype day here in Nozawa Onsen. Clear and warm with a solid base depth of over three meters. Again, as expected at this time of year the best skiing will be on the upper half of the mountain. With the recent liquid pow the off piste areas are starting to come good again; most areas are holding excellent spring corn snow. Groomed runs will also be nice and the park or pipe will be good in the spring sunshine. Yesterday saw thick pea soup fog envelop the entire top half of the mountain right […]
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Best skiing on piste
Base up top: 335 cm Temp Top; +3 Degrees Base at bottom; 140 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Overcast Its an overcast morning here today but at least the rain has stopped. Idealy, it fell heaviest during the late afternoon and night. This means the deep persistent slushy layer will have been washed away decreasing stickiness on piste. The forecast suggests we may experience some isolated snow showers about the peaks today but so far none have eventuated. The best skiing today will be on the upper slopes of the mountain. If you found a good location yesterday head to the same spot as it will likely be the same. The park and pipe will also be […]
Moist in the afternoon
Base up top: 350 cm Temp Top; 0 Degrees Base at bottom; 150 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Overcast As expected the clouds have rolled in overnight in Nozawa Onsen and we currently have a flat overcast sky. Clouds are at mid level so the entire mountain has good visibility even at the peak. The forecast rain has so far held off which is good. So far this season almost all weather systems have been delayed and so its possible that there will be no rain until early afternoon. While it may sound bad, rain is just what we need here at the moment. A deep surface slush layer has formed when temperatures warmed after the recent […]
Base up top: 350 cm Temp Top; +3 Degrees Base at bottom; 155 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear Its another perfect spring day in Nozawa Onsen. Light winds, cloudless bluebird skies and a perfect deep spring snowpack. For the best riding today head to the upper groomed runs or park. Intermediate to advanced riders will appreciate the Yamabiko groomers and the challenge area whilst beginners should head to the mid mountain green runs. Off piste may have some nice spring corn snow now its sufficiently packed. Yesterday saw nice spring conditions also. Runs were mostly slushy from the outset and forgiving for any mistakes. The snow retained good speed for most of the day becoming sticky […]
Spring Monday
Base up top: 360 cm Temp Top; +4 Degrees Base at bottom; 165 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear Today should pretty much be a carbon copy of conditions we experienced yesterday but with slightly warmer temperatures. We currently have an almost cloudless bluebird sky in combination with light winds. The long weekend crowds have headed back home leaving the resort relatively empty. Today the best skiing and boarding will be had on the upper half of the mountain with the lower pistes becoming slower in the spring sunshine. Yamabiko will hold excellent quality snow as usual and the best piste runs will be found here. Off piste held good snow in the north facing […]
Another Perfect Powder Day
Base up top: 370 cm Temp Top; -4 Degrees Base at bottom; 190 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Clear Bluebird skies, check. Cold overnight temperatures, check. Deep fresh pow, check. All the ingredients are there for an epic day of skiing and boarding here in Nozawa Onsen. We hardly could ask for anything better this March, reaching the peak snow depth of 385cm just yesterday. For some of that epic japow head to your favourite North facing tree run or gully off piste. Anything South facing was roasted by the spring sun yesterday and subsequently will have formed a crust layer. We expect temperatures to be warmer today so best to go riding earlier rather […]
March 22nd will go down as one of those days in Nozawa
Today we hit our peak base for the 2014 Season at 385cm. While most people are hitting the beach the lucky few here and in for one of the best days of the season. March is Magic and don’t write it off for skiing in Japan or you may regret it….
March Continues to Deliver
Base up top: 385 cm Temp Top; -8 Degrees Base at bottom; 165 cm New Snow since close: 40 cm Weather; Bluebird, isolated snow showers Conditions are amazing. March is really putting on a show this year with snowfall totals almost matching January and Feburary but with even less crowds. At the moment we have a crystalline bluebird morning, cold temperatures and heaps of fresh pow. Since close of lifts a massive 40cm has fallen. A perfect day for skiing and boarding in Nozawa Onsen. All areas will be outstanding today; the groomed runs will be soft and silky smooth and the off piste area will hold deep dry japow. On the other hand the steeper off piste […]
More March Madness
Base up top: 360 cm Temp Top; -5 Degrees Base at bottom; 145 cm New Snow since close: 25 cm Weather; Heavy snow Its been absolutely puking all day in Nozawa Onsen. Heavy snow this morning intensified throughout the afternoon refreshing the cover and providing some great deep powder lines for those who braved the cold and windy conditions. Through the trees was very nice with fresh tracks all day long. It was snowing so hard in the afternoon the lines ridden only a few hours earlier had completely filled in. Crowds were minimal, one definite benefit for these late season dumps. Yesterday was nothing to write home above with rain falling for most of the day. Moving […]
Liquid powder today, frozen powder tomorrow..
Base up top: 325 cm Temp Top; -1 Degrees Base at bottom; 145 cm New Snow since close: 0 cm Weather; Light showers This morning we have some liquid powder falling in the village, but with a temperature of -1C at the summit this will be falling as snow across the peaks. Therefore the best riding today will be on the upper areas of the mountain, such as the Yamabiko area. That being said, the lower slopes are fast as the rain has washed away the soft surface layer. Groomed runs will be the pick with the off piste areas needing snowfalls to freshen up the cover. Yesterday offered some nice skiing and boarding on the groomed runs […]