Spooky trees up high on the mountain.
Base up top: 250cm Temp Top; -9 Degrees
Base at bottom: 150cm
New Snow since close: 35cm
Weather; Snow showers
Unexpectedly moderate snowfalls persisted overnight delivering an excellent surprise this morning. From last lifts till midnight last night we saw about 15-20cm gather on top of railings and by morning 30cm had accumulated in the village, with even more up high. It looks like there should be some outstanding and deep riding on offer today.
A clearing trend is expected during the day, but this is hard to imagine as the snowfalls show no signs of letting up. Like the past week crowds are looking like they will be minimal.
Yesterday there were many happy faces on the mountain with knee-deep snow through the trees and tiny crowds. There were perfect conditions for practicing riding in the powder, as it was still easy to feel the solid base beneath. The trees were really the place to be with the limited visibility and plentiful fresh.
Looking further ahead, the current forecast is very unusual for this time of year. We are expecting some spring-like conditions for at least the next three days. Light snow is possible on Saturday night, but the temperatures are quite warm with a freezing height hovering around 400-800m above sea level. The next chance for a good solid dump is looking like it may occur around the 17th.
Empty, snowy Japanese road. Nozawa Onsen.
