Unfortunately the rain we were expecting is falling in Hakuba from early morning, and ski resorts themselves are reporting rain at base and wet snow falling higher up. And it does actually feel like it is trying to snow lower down as well, so perhaps a bit of encouragement from everyone might help it on! It will hopefully become lighter through the day and ease off tonight or early tomorrow morning. Visibility looks to be ok on lower slopes but poorer higher up as the mountains are covered in cloud. There's a wind out there as well this morning which delayed some lifts from opening but does not seem to be causing much disruption now.

The temperature is above freezing level in the vilage and curently around +4 degrees.

The greyer feel to everything is a big contrast to the much clearer conditions and weather that we enjoyed yesterday of course. Right now, the forecast for tomorrow is generally cloudy but there is good news. It should start getting colder again and Sunday into Monday might bring us some snowfall.

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Official snow depths and operations @ Saturday 17th March 2012 AM:

Hakuba Goryu:
No new snowfall this morning at Goryu. All lifts and runs scheduled to be open today.
Official snow depths:
Alps daira - 265cm;
Toomi - 150cm;
Iimori - 115cm

Hakuba 47:
1cm of new snowfall this morning. All courses open, all lifts except Line D operating.
Official snow depth:
Upper - 238cm
Lower - 155cm

Happo-one:
Ski lifts/courses:
All lifts apart from Happo No1 pair, Central pair and Kita One No3 pair moving today.
Official snow depth:
Usagidaira - 220cm;
Sakka - 70cm;
Nakiyama - 80cm.

Tsugaike Kogen:
Official snow depth:
Upper slopes - 265cm
Champion - 200cm

Hakuba Cortina:
No new snowfall this morning. Most lifts courses open.
Official snow depth:
Upper - 340cm
Lower - 210cm

Hakuba Norikura:
Official snow depth:
180cm

Hakuba Iwatake:
Village Side (lower slopes) plan to be open until 1st April (upper slopes open well beyond that date).
Official snow depth:
Upper - 200cm
Lower - 80cm

Hakuba Sanosaka:
150cm

Hakuba Minekata:
Now closed for the season