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| Hakuba 19 December [Source: Happo FB page] |
Rain and mild temperatures hit some areas on Saturday, before the colder temperatures returned on Sunday night into Monday. Parts of Niigata were reporting up to half a metre of new snow on Christmas Eve!
NAGANO
It began snowing around Hakuba on Thursday (20cms up high) with a repeat on Friday. After clearing a little at the weekend, heavy snow returned to Hakuba on Sunday night:
Happo One: 160/60cms
It seems Hakuba is finally making some concessions to the demands of overseas skiers (especially Australians) keen to explore more off-piste.
Other ski areas around Japan already have adopted a more relaxed approach to tree runs and sidecountry. The photo alongside shows the (new?) tree run area at Happo.
NIIGATA
At Myokokogen it returned to snowy conditions on Thursday as the first week of the season kicked off.
It began snowing around Hakuba on Thursday (20cms up high) with a repeat on Friday. After clearing a little at the weekend, heavy snow returned to Hakuba on Sunday night:
Happo One: 160/60cms
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| Happo Tree Run Area [Source: Happo FB page] |
Other ski areas around Japan already have adopted a more relaxed approach to tree runs and sidecountry. The photo alongside shows the (new?) tree run area at Happo.
NIIGATA
At Myokokogen it returned to snowy conditions on Thursday as the first week of the season kicked off.
Unfortunately, rain returned again on Saturday, but by Sunday a winter storm had arrived and the temperatures got much colder:
Akakura Onsen ski area - 140cms
Nearby Nozawa Onsen has been transformed with a healthy base for so early in the season:
Nozawa Onsen ski area - 200/60cms
Around and about the Echigo-Yuzawa area of Niigata, including Kagura and Naeba, there was snow on Thursday (10-30cms), but it became mild and even a little bit rainy on Saturday.
Fortunately this changed back to snow on Sunday morning and it began dumping overnight and into Monday:
Naeba ski area - 90cms
Kagura ski area- 200cms
YAMAGATA
Zao Onsen - no snow, but no rain either! Zao only managed sprinklings of snow through the weekend to refresh the slopes:
Zao Onsen - 70/40cms
Nearby Nozawa Onsen has been transformed with a healthy base for so early in the season:
Nozawa Onsen ski area - 200/60cms
Around and about the Echigo-Yuzawa area of Niigata, including Kagura and Naeba, there was snow on Thursday (10-30cms), but it became mild and even a little bit rainy on Saturday.
Fortunately this changed back to snow on Sunday morning and it began dumping overnight and into Monday:
Naeba ski area - 90cms
Kagura ski area- 200cms
Zao Onsen - no snow, but no rain either! Zao only managed sprinklings of snow through the weekend to refresh the slopes:
Zao Onsen - 70/40cms
FRANCE
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| Orelle 21 December [Source: 3Vallees FB page] |
NORTHERN ALPS
At Espace Killy, which includes Tignes and Val D'Isere, there is 240cms of snow at 2500m altitude, and 123cms on the ground at the beautiful Val D'Isere village (1850m).
Les Arcs:
@1600m - 105cms
@2000m - 137cms
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| L'Alpe D'Huez 18 December [Source: Alpe D'Huez FB page] |
@1450m - 100cms
@2300m - 140cms
Les 2 Alpes - no change in snowdepth since last week, but the high altitude areas would have kept the quality:
@1650m - 100cms
@2600m - 140cms
The Southern Alps are certainly doing well, but little new snowfall in the past week. So many sunny days would be pleasant, however!
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| La Mongie 22 December [Source: Grand Tourmalet FB page] |
L'Espace Lumiere, centred around Val D'Allos:
@1800m - 110cms
@2600m - 180cms
In the Pyrenees a sunny spell has held off much improvement in snow depths, with the sun melting a little snow.
The Grand Tourmalet area now has 80cms of snow at 1800 metres altitude, and 100cms @ 2500m.
Cauterets:
@1850m - 100cms
@2400m - 135cms
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