Nozawa Onsen, Hakuba, Myoko, Madarao, Shiga Kogen all record record-breaking snowfalls
It will come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen the recent photos of chairlifts disappearing under metres of snow: Japan’s 2021/22 winter season has been one of the best in recent memory. Resorts across the country have been hammered consistently from the beginning of the season right through to the recent February bomb cyclone that deposited more than 250cm of snow in four days in Lotte Arai resort, a powder magnet in Japan’s Niigata prefecture. Incidentally, the resort is now reporting more than 21 metres of cumulative snowfall for the season and a base of 5.85 metres at its Zendana mid-station.
Further north in Iwate prefecture, Geto Kogen is claiming more than 24 metres of snow this winter. Photos and videos of ski patrollers digging out channels under the resort’s chairlifts have gone viral.
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But massive snowfalls are nothing new in Japan; they’re the very reason the country has become a bucket-list destination for powder seekers around the globe. So in an effort to gauge where this season sits in relation to years past, we’ve taken a look at historical snowfall records kept by Snow Japan.
It’s worth noting a couple of things before we plough on. Firstly: these figures are taken from the base of the each resort (you can find the respective locations here), and their elevations vary considerably. Naturally, snow accumulation will have likely been higher at mid or top stations. It’s also important to understand that there are many different factors that can affect snow readings (wind, aspect etc), so the data doesn’t necessarily offer a true reflection of the conditions on the mountain, nor should the figures from one resort be compared to another. Snow Japan does a good job of explaining this here.
That all said, the numbers are telling, especially with two months of the season still to play. Note that for years past, we’ve given season totals above, with totals up to the end of February below (for comparison to this season).
Seasonal Snowfall
Hakuba | Madarao | Myoko | Niseko | Nozawa Onsen | Shiga Kogen | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021/22* | 584* | 1022* | 1611* | 1054* | 1087* | 1057* |
2020/21 | 420 (417*) | 915 (886*) | 1355 (1316*) | 1210 (1122*) | 798 (772*) | 699 (677*) |
2019/20 | 223 (175*) | 617 (529*) | 905 (757*) | 728 (659*) | 467 (402*) | 567 (425*) |
2018/19 | 420 (352*) | 919 (840*) | 1705 (1525*) | 951 (900*) | 886 (799*) | 747 (581*) |
2017/18 | 547 (510*) | 783 (765*) | 1362 (1323*) | 1260 (1198*) | 700 (694*) | 863 (838*) |
2016/17 | 527 (458*) | 918 (824*) | 1478 (1319*) | 686 (603*) | 822 (725*) | 1157 (999*) |
2015/16 | 321 (284*) | 483 (384*) | 878 (733*) | 989 (874*) | 472 (397*) | 568 (463*) |
2014/15 | 619 (507*) | 1055 (959*) | 1558 (1403*) | 1144 (1002*) | 1044 (966*) | 756 (625*) |
2013/14 | 423 (345*) | 734 (589*) | 1113 (858*) | 1163 (1037*) | 720 (542*) | 655 (542*) |
2012/13 | 565 (549*) | 1012 (930*) | 1370 (1288*) | 1491 (1295*) | 824 (780*) | 549 (479*) |
With 1087cm falling over the season already, Nozawa Onsen is the clear winner from the list, already exceeding all season totals from previous years. February had 416cm alone, including single day snowfalls of 86cm and 72cm on the 6th and 7th of the month. SnowJapan data goes back 10 years; we had to comb through JMA records as far back as 2008 to find a February with a higher total.
Reports from the ground have supported the story we’ve been given through the numbers. A post from the Nozawa Holidays team on February 23 reads:
“Ground Hound Day with another 50cm of fresh overnight in Nozawa.
“This is the 3rd day in a row we are reporting half a meter of fresh snow overnight. That alone is 150cm total and then there is all the snow that fell in the day time too. The base has hit a new peak for the season topping out earlier today at 480cm – that’s 5cm above the earlier peak. I need to check the records but it is also the highest snow base we have seen in at least a decade most likely longer.
“The Powder Hounds were certainly rejoicing with face shots all over the resort. It has kept snowing most of the day and even some bursts of sun from time to time. Temps a refreshing -10 degrees up top at Yamabiko. Sorry to all those good folk sitting at home that have missed this huge season. We know there are a lot of you and we know you are hurting. ”
Of course, it’s pretty clear from the numbers above that it’s not just Nozawa having an epic season. Every resort in the list excluding Niseko is ahead on November–February totals, and if they were to hit their average March/April numbers over the next two months, then Madarao, Hakuba and Myoko would all finish their season with decade-best totals. Shiga Kogen would fall just 6.5cm short. Niseko is the only resort on the list that would fall well short of its best (1491cm over the 2012/13 season).
If you’ve missed out on this season, like many around the world, do not be discouraged. One of the takeaways from the table above is just how consistent Japan’s winters are, notwithstanding a particularly poor season in 2019/20.
Incredibly, if you’d planned your trips over the last 10 years with a bit of luck, then you could have had decade-best snowfalls in five out of the 10 years (based on 21/22 season totals as they currently stand).
On behalf of the many skiers and snowboarders who have been watching this season play out from afar, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for 2022/23.
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