Weekly Japan Forecast – Deep Powder lined up for Christmas

Written Thursday morning, 19^th December (Japan Standard Time)

Another weekend storm brought yet another massive load of powder to resorts on Honshu, while more consistent snowfall on Hokkaido has seen numbers quietly rack up to 50-100cm+. After some rocky times over the last several seasons, it’s fair to say Japan is having a great start to the season – all is right in the world once again.

Things are about to get even better this week. An intense snowstorm is forecast to spread south over Honshu on Saturday, reaching central parts late in the day with heavy snowfall. The storm will eventually wind down on Tuesday, just in time for Christmas, with totals likely more than 1-1.5m for some in Central Honshu and 50-100cm in northern Honshu. Things will be much quieter on Hokkaido, where lighter snowfalls will still see totals reaching up to 20-40cm.

Thursday 19^th & Friday 20^th December

We’ve got a cold, settled and mostly fine start for resorts throughout Honshu. However, an increase in cold northwest winds will bring a top-up of powder to central parts during the second half of the day, with lighter, scattered snow showers reaching some resorts further north.

Skies will clear again over central Honshu early Friday as pressures build and a warmer southwest flow develops, making for another great day on the slopes. The retreating cold airmass will stall over the far north of Honshu later on Friday, building into a frontal band that will see snowfall pick up over the Akita, Aomori & Iwate prefectures.

Meanwhile, up on Hokkaido, light snowfalls will eventually peter-out on Friday as the persistent, frigid westerly winds turn northwards and dry out.

Saturday 21^st & Sunday 22^nd December

Much of Japan will start the weekend under blue skies, with snowfall confined to northern Honshu due to the frontal band lying over the region. However, the front will gradually push southwards, eventually arriving in Central Honshu late in the day, kicking off what should be the biggest snowstorm of the season there thus far.

Cold northwesterlies won’t arrive in Central Honshu until Saturday night, and with it will come heavy falls of high-quality Japow through Sunday. Northern Honshu will also do quite well with moderate snowfall for some resorts.

Being farther from the action, things will remain quiet on Hokkaido, with most major resorts seeing little or no snow until late Sunday when developing northerlies spread snowfall southwards.

Monday 23^rd to Wednesday 25^th December

The snowstorm will continue over Honshu on Monday, with another heavy load of Japow for central parts and a light-moderate load for the north, before it starts to wind down on Tuesday and snowfalls eventually peter out. This will leave deep, deep powder and settled conditions for one heck of an epic powder day for Christmas.

Hokkaido will see light snow showers during this time, with resorts in the west, such as those near Niseko and Sapporo, benefiting the most as winds turn a more favourable northwest from late Monday.

That’s all from me today, folks. Have a great week, and I’ll see you here next Thursday for another weekly rundown of Japan’s highlights and snowlights.

Grasshopper