Asia Weekly Roundup #234
Japan's ski areas have experienced something of a final blast (or hopefully perhaps not yet final), with some of the biggest snowfalls of recent months in the last week.
Japanese Slopes Embrace Spring Chill: Skiing enthusiasts anticipate temperature drop after warm spell, with fresh snow showers forecasted for a renewed alpine experience.
OVERVIEW
One of the big winners was Niseko (110/320cm / 44/128"), which posted 45cm (18") in 24 hours at one point. The famous centre still reports almost 90% of its slopes still open and is due to keep operating into May. Nozawa Onsen (120/310cm / 48/124") posted one of the biggest falls, though, seeing 70cm (28") of fresh snow overnight, taking it through the three metre (10 feet) base mark for the first time this season. Myoko was also buried in deep powder, and after weeks of little change or even drops in base depths, they’ve gone back in the right direction.
JAPAN FORECAST
After the heavy weekend snowfalls, conditions have turned rather more springlike to start the week in many Japanese areas. Highs of +12C in the resort and +5C on high slopes in the afternoons are likely to continue until around Thursday, when a temperature drop closer to freezing is expected, with more snow showers returning.
