The overnight cloud cover is dissipating and we are expecting clear skies this morning. The afternoon may see some cloud cover returning over the valley, but remain clear up high as the new weather system approaches. It is a system coming from the South and will bring warmer air masses and precipitation - likely rain down below tomorrow, hopefully snow higher up.

In the valley this morning it is -2.5 C and expected to reach upto 8 C. Up on the resorts it will range from -1 C to 3 C near the bottom of the slopes and -3 C to -6 C up high. The freezing level is on its way up and will reach 1450m in the day creating soft snow conditions. Winds are Light and will flow from the SSW and SSE.

Tonight the freezing level is expected to rise to 1900m and will continue to rise through Thursday peaking at around 2450m. It will remain cloudy until the evening when we will start to see clearings for Friday. Cloudy periods will be mixed with clearings through the weekend with freezing levels lowering. By Monday we will again see clear skies and colder conditions.

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Official snow depths and operations @ Wednesday 22nd February 2012 AM:

Hakuba Goryu:
No new snowfall early this morning. All lifts operating.
Official snow depths:
Alps daira - 325cm;
Toomi - 185cm;
Iimori - 145cm

Hakuba 47:
Hakuba 47 actually reporting 1cm of new snowfall this morning up top. All courses open (Line D lift not operating weekdays).
Official snow depth:
Upper - 238cm
Lower - 140cm

Happo-one:
Ski lifts/courses:
All lifts apart from Usagidaira pair, Happo No1 pair and Central pair lifts should be operating today.
Official snow depth:
Usagidaira - 190cm;
Sakka - 110cm;
Nakiyama - 90cm.

Tsugaike Kogen:
Official snow depth:
Upper slopes - 260cm
Champion - 200cm

Hakuba Cortina:
No new snow overnight in Cortina. All courses apart from Giant course open early on (No 7 pair lift closed weekdays).
Official snow depth:
Upper - 360cm
Lower - 230cm

Hakuba Norikura:
Official snow depth:
220cm

Hakuba Iwatake:
Official snow depth:
Upper - 180cm
Lower - 110cm

Hakuba Sanosaka:
160cm

Hakuba Minekata:
110cm