The leftovers. Kelsey finds untracked powder two days ago. Now we wait..
Base at top: 145 cm
Temp at Top: -3 Degree
Base at Uenotaira station: 105 cm
New snow since close: 10 cm
Weather: Overcast
Around 6pm last night we had a brief passing shower. However this quickly turned to snow even in the village. Quite surprising given the warm temperatures. Since last lifts yesterday we have had a total snowfall of 10cm at Yamabiko and 2cm down at village level. We expect temperatures to cool gradually through the day with the freezing level receding to around 800m above sea level. Heavy snow is predicted for tonight. Today the best turns will be had near the summit with the highest quality snow but will be masked by limited visibility. The mid station area will offer slightly slower snow with less crowds and improved visibility. This mid station area gains the highest recommendations for the today a will be a fun way to escape the long weekend crowds for all levels.
Yesterday was an unusual day in the a strong temperature inversion persisted well into the afternoon. At around lunchtime there were positive temperatures recorded at Yamabiko, while it was still well into the negatives in the valley. As such we had an upside down day with fast snow that was great for carving especially down low and softer more forgiving conditions near the top. Crowds were very high but this is to be expected considering the long weekend.
Snow is in the forecast for the foreseeable future with no expected sunshine for the next week at least. Tomorrow we will experience snow showers that will increase in strength overnight. Consistent falls of snow will continue Wednesday, Thursday and Friday probably totalling 30cm or so for each respective 24 hour period. Following this heavier falls are currently modelled for over the weekend easing by early next week. This is one of the most impressive weekly forecasts I can remember.
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