Snow Report 30 April 2013 - Japan and France

JAPAN

Happo One 29 April [Source: Happo One webcam]

Spring skiing is still hanging on in Japan! However, with temperatures of up to 23c in Nagano and 19c in Niigata on Monday, the ski season in Honshu is coming close to an end despite the snow cover remaining good up on the higher slopes.

Not the greatest season in recent years by Japan's incredibly high standards, but you wouldn't have been complaining if you were there on powder days in January!

NAGANO

Hakuba Happo One: 120/0cms

From the top of the fabulously-named Adam gondola there is still access to skiing and riding around the higher altitude parts of Happo - at Usagidaira, Skyline, Kurobishi. Happo One is due to stay open until 6 May 2013.

Shiga Kogen: 150/100cms

With the lower lifts starting at over 1,300m and the highest points reaching over 2,000m, Shiga Kogen has a good chance of keeping snow late in the season. Most areas remain open until 6 May 2013 and a few a bit later.

Nozawa Onsen Yamabiko 29 April [Source: Nozawa Onsen webcam]

NIIGATA

Akakura Kanko: 105cms

The Myokokogen ski area resort of Akakan remains open but is losing snow rapidly in the warm and rainy weather early this week. Like most, they plan to remain operating lifts until 6 May 2013.

Nozawa Onsen: 170/0cms

Skiing is on the upper slopes above 1,000m, especially at the brilliant Yamabiko area for the best quality snow.

Naeba: - closed for the season, Kagura: - 300cms

Up at Kagura there is still heaps of snow, as you would expect. Kagura stays open until 26 May 2013.

YAMAGATA

Zao Onsen: 50cms

The Zao Onsen ropeways are open to take skiers and riders up to the higher parts of the resort. From there, the short pair lifts are still providing access to the Chuo and other slopes.

FRANCE

The fantastic European ski season this year has meant there is plenty of Spring skiing available in France right until the end of April. Many ski resorts have closed now, despite having lots of snow around. Never mind though, as some of the larger and higher-altitude areas have good skiing well into May.

NORTHERN ALPS

Espace Killy (Val D'Isere) - Val D'Isere will open until 5 May 2013, with Tignes opening until 12 May 2013. An impressive 89% of pistes remain open after this year's great season.
@1850m - 85cms
@2500m - 352cms

Val Thorens 25 April [Source: Val Thorens FB page]

Paradiski (Les Arcs and La Plagne) is now closed.

Les Trois Vallees - The many ski stations of the 3 Valleys are now closed, except for Val Thorens (125cms @2,300m, 355cms @3,200m), which will remain open until 12 May 2013.

Les 2 Alpes and L'Alpe D'Huez are now closed.

SOUTHERN ALPS

In the sunny Southern Alps close to the Mediterranean things often wrap up earlier: Isola 2000 finished up on the 21 April 2013, and L'Espace Lumiere, centred around Val D'Allos, closed earlier in April.

PYRENEES

In the Pyrenees, the Grand Tourmalet and Cauterets areas closed in early April. Cauterets closed with over 3 metres of snow still on the mountain after hitting around 5 metres through midwinter!

In Andorra, Grandvalira (40/160cms) closed this recent weekend, while Vallnord closed earlier in April.