#hokkaido-snowfall

#hokkaido-snowfall

The Canterbury region woke up to the coldest day of the year so far, with windchill making residents wonder if it's time to turn on the heating and bring out the winter bedding and heated blankets.

Gassan Ski Area opened its 2026 season on April 10, providing one of the rare opportunities to ski well into the warmer months, with operations expected through mid-June.

Kirkwood has had a pretty solid past few days, seeing 42 inches of snow through the past 7 days, 31 of which fell in the past 48 hours. As of April 13th, Kirkwood has 5 lifts spinning with 45 of 84 trails open to skiers and snowboarders.

Dozens of people have died in Japan after record-breaking snowfall blanketed northern regions of the country, while officials warned that warmer temperatures could trigger a new wave of accidents. Authorities said 35 people had died in snow-related incidents across Japan since 20 January, with almost 400 injured, 126 of them seriously. Most of the deaths were among people who fell while trying to clear snow from their roofs or around their homes.

Fall's scarlet and gold was fading from the mountains around Sapporo as I sat with a small group around a heavy wood table with a charcoal grill in the center. We watched a chef cook channel rockfish over the coals. This northern Japanese delicacy is cherished for its meltingly sweet flesh, which takes on a light pink color because of the species' shrimp-heavy diet.

Both avid and casual skiers know that winter requires preparation. If you want to ski as many days as possible, you must have a game plan. After all, skiing is an expensive sport, so budget is typically one of the top considerations. But before you book flights, hotels, and lift tickets, or decide if you want to invest in an Epic Pass or Ikon Pass, you'll need to identify which ski resorts you want to explore over the course of a few months.

Anyone who visits Japan, whether it's just for sightseeing or for skiing/snowboarding, needs to do some karaoke. In the U.S., most karaoke is done in a bar with everyone watching. In Japan, most karaoke is done in private rooms for just you and your friends. It really takes things to the next level. Skiers and snowboarders at Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort in Japan don't need to go far out of their way to get some karaoke in.

A massive, six-story reinforced steel and concrete castle in Akabira, Central Hokkaido, has hit the market for a staggering 10,000,000 Yen-approximately $64,000 USD. Built in 1991, this isn't a crumbling ancient ruin, but a modern structural feat totaling 1,571m² of building space on a sprawling 5,045m² freehold lot.

Guidance is most aligned on a moderate midweek refresh, strongest in central Honshu, where many mountains should pick up 10 cm-35 cm, with the wettest favored terrain closer to 25 cm-45 cm.

WeatherJapan stays in a very active winter pattern through early next week, with the most reliable snow from Thu night (02/05) through Mon (02/09) and frequent refreshes in Hokkaido. Snow levels sit at or near sea level for much of the period in Hokkaido, and that keeps precipitation as snow even down low while temperatures hold well below freezing. Snow quality should improve as colder air settles in, with SLRs often rising into the 16-19:1 range later in the weekend.

At least 35 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured after an extended period of extreme snowfall dumped up to 6.5 feet (about 2 meters) of snow across parts of northern Japan, with authorities now warning that rising temperatures could trigger dangerous avalanches. According to reporting from the A ssociated Press, The Japan Times, and Sky News, the deadly impacts follow roughly two weeks of persistent snow that has overwhelmed infrastructure

This video serves as yet another reminder of how important it is to ski or snowboard with a buddy if you're planning to head off trail, even just to pop into the woods. While trail hazards might be well marked at some resorts, you can run into hidden rocks, trees, or even holes no matter where you are. That's especially true outside of the country, where off-piste terrain isn't necessarily mitigated like it is in North America.