Snow Report 9 December 2016 - Europe & Japan

Warm and sunny on the pistes in Europe, while first snows blanket parts of Japan. The season is just getting started. Whether you are heading to Europe or Japan this northern winter, read on for the lowdown on conditions.

JAPAN

A fine and sunny weekend at the Japanese resorts. Some snow arrived Monday night, falling quite heavily in Niseko and a sprinkling on the higher areas of the Japanese Alps.

Niseko 03.12.16 - Niseko United Facebook

Snow continued on Tuesday and Wednesday for a nice fall overall so far: 20-30cm Hokkaido and 10-30cm Honshu. Myoko Kogen scored the most in the Alps, while the other resorts got a smaller fall.

The snow is set to continue falling into and through the weekend at all resorts.

Happo One had some lifts running today after the new snow. Zao Onsen got some lifts running as well.

Opening dates at my featured Japanese ski resorts:

Yuzawa (Kagura) - Kagura is OPEN

Niseko (Grand Hirafu) - OPEN - 45cm at base

Nozawa Onsen - part opening (Yamabiko) ASAP

Hakuba (Happo One) - 17th December (partially OPEN at the top)

Zao Onsen - partially OPEN (Chuo lift)

Myoko Kogen - mid-December

FRANCE

Clear and sunny days on the slopes over the last week in France. This often happens at this time of year as the early snowfalls give way to a run of mild, clear weather again.

Isola 2000 03.12.16 - Isola 2000 Facebook

Its even got warmer as the week has progressed and there's not much snow on the horizon right now.

Lets see whats open. Isola 2000 in the Southern Alps opened last weekend. Serre Chevalier opened yesterday. Grand Tourmalet in the Pyrenees suffered a further setback due to the fine weather and put the opening back another week. Les Arcs and Val'd'Allos open this weekend.

Opening dates at my featured French ski stations are:

Val Thorens - OPEN - 60cm@2300m, 26/30 lifts, 61/85 pistes

Val d'Isere - OPEN - 5cm@1850m, 64/77 lifts, 100/167 pistes

Serre Chevalier 01.12.16 - Serre Che Facebook

Chamonix (Grands Montets) - partially OPEN - 30cm@1972m (full opening from 17th December, with the other Chamonix ski areas due to partially open this weekend)

Isola 2000 - OPEN - 30cm@2000m, 22 pistes

Serre Chevalier - OPEN - 145cm@2100m, 7/62 lifts, 9/81 pistes

Les Arcs - 10th December

Val d'Allos - 10th December

Grand Tourmalet -  17th December

Super Besse - when there's enough snow

ITALY

Monterosa 05.12.16 - Monterosa Facebook

A similar story in the Italian Alps.

My featured ski resorts are now all open, at least partially. Monterosa in the Alps and Val Gardena in the Dolomites opened on the weekend.

Opening dates at my featured Italian ski stations:

Madonna di Campiglio - OPEN - 13 lifts, 17 runs

Madesimo - OPEN - 5/13 lifts, 10/36 runs

Monterosa - OPEN - 33/45 lifts, 48/93 runs

Val Gardena - OPEN - 169/207 lifts open across Dolomiti Superski