Japan Weekly Snow Roundup #308

• Japan season winds down with limited terrain remaining
• Light snowfall persists, mostly under 10cm accumulations
• Hokkaido retains deepest snowpack exceeding 425cm
• Warmer spring conditions dominate Honshu resorts

Japan Snow Report

Japan's season continues to wind down with more ski areas, including Nozawa Onsen, closing lower terrain at the weekend, joining a growing number of areas offering snowsports on their higher terrain only for the rest of the season. More ski areas have closed altogether, too, although most of the larger resorts remain open. It's been dry much of the week across much of the country, with mostly light precipitation reported, usually snowfall totals of less than 10cm (4") in 24 hours, often falling as sleet and rain at lower elevations. Winds have been generally light, and temperatures have still been getting above freezing overnight on high terrain but climbing above +10C in valleys.

Northerly Hokkaido naturally has been a little cooler and snowier than the main island of Honshu. Niseko (85/345cm / 34/138") still reports more than 80% of its slopes open. It's one of the country's resorts that usually aims to stay open until early May. This year, May 6th is the target date, although most areas will close over the next few weekends.

Smaller Hokkaido area Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake (425/425cm / 170/170”) near Kamikawa is currently posting the country’s and the world’s deepest base. Japan’s sole summer ski area, Gassan, has also announced it will open for its 2026 season a week on Saturday (April 10).

Japan Snow Forecast
It’s looking largely dry and sunny for the remainder of the week on Hokkaido, overnight lows on high terrain at or a few degrees below freezing, valley high getting above +10C in the afternoons.

More unsettled on Honshu with rain, sleet and snow showers expected between sunny spells. Slightly cooler too with a -5 to +5C range most days, getting warmer into the weekend.