Morning from Hakuba.

Yesterday morning the wind was messing about with things - happily today there's no wind problem and as far as I can tell resorts opening as planned.

It's a pretty complicated picture as well actually, with more runs and lifts gradually opening up as resorts try to cope with the large number of people that are here wanting to enjoy sliding down the snow. I have seen more than a few frustrated people around in the last few days not happy with lack of clear information and at times long queues to get on lifts. To be fair to the resorts, they are generally trying to cope as best they can - this gradual arrival of snow at this late stage is not making it the easiest situation to deal with. Still, personally I wish that lift staff would insist on having people get on lifts together and not sending up a quad with for example just 1 or 2 people on it...

New Year is fast approaching with lots more people arriving. Expect crowds! Try to keep smiling!

This morning it's a mix of snow clouds with snow falling in places, but we are expecting a mostly cloudy day. There's even a glimpse of sunshine in places. It's keeping cold with temperatures remaining around zero and it's not due to warm up any either. Tomorrow should also remain cold with more cloudy conditions, with perhaps even some clearer skies. Some forecasts even talk of sunshine.

The next snow after looks due around the evening of New Years Eve but as we head into the New Year milder conditions are likely.

With the New Year just a few days away, it's certainly not great that most lower areas are either still not open or struggling. We can just hope that early January brings with it lots more snow and this start to the season is not representative of the whole season. Unfortunately there is of course nothing we can do about the weather. So let's accept it and enjoy what we can.

Best advice is to head high!

Take care out there and enjoy.

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6 day forecast for Happo-one:

6 day snow and weather forecast for Happo-one

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Resort news as of 9:30am on Tuesday 29th December (all subject to change due to weather conditions)

Hakuba 47:
Hakuba 47 is reporting 5cm of new snowfall at base and 10cm on mountain since yesterday.
Upper R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R9 courses open.
Planned lifts:
Gondola
Line AB
Line C
Line E
Official snow depth
Upper: 110cm
Base: 15cm

Hakuba Goryu:
Hakuba Goryu is reporting 5cm of new snowfall at base and 20cm on upper areas.
Upper areas, the main Toomi course and the Soft Cream course in the Iimori area are open
Planned lifts:
Telecabin Gondola
Alps Number 1 pair lift
Alps Number 2/4 pair lift
Alps Number 3 pair lift
Toomi Sky Four lift
Milky Four lift
Official snow depth
Alps: 120cm
Toomi: 40cm
Iimori: 25cm

Hakuba Happo-one:
More of Happo-one is now open including the Skyline area, with more lifts operating to get people up to the open area - lower courses still closed.
The Sakka Kita One quad lift, Kokusai Number 1 lift and Nakayama Number 3 lifts taking people up to the open areas along with the Gondola.
Planned lifts:
Adam Gondola
Alpen quad lift
Usagidaira pair lift
Happo Riesen quad
Nakiyama Number 3 triple
Kurobishi Number 2 quad lift
Kurobishi Number 3 pair lift
Skyline Number 2 pair lift
Kokusai Number 1 lift
Kokusai Number 3 lift
Panorama pair lift
Kita One quad lift
Kita One Number 3 pair lift
Official snow depth
Usagidaira: 70cm
Nakiyama: -cm
Sakka: -cm

Hakuba Cortina:
Hakuba Cortina reporting 10-15cm of fresh snow.
Courses open - Ikenota, Mt Hieda Forest, Mt Hieda Ridge, Mt Hieda 1 (lower), Itadaira, Itadaira Forest, Giant, Ipponmatsu.
Planned lifts:
Number 1 pair lift
Number 2 quad lift
Number 4 pair lift
Number 5 pair lift
Official snow depth
Top: 75cm
Base: 40cm

Tsugaike Kogen:
Large sections of Tsugaike Kogen are now at least part open.
Planned lifts:
Eve Gondola
Tsuga Number 1 pair lift
Tsuga Number 2 pair lift
Han-no-ki high speed pair lift
Maruyama Number 1 quad
Tsugaike Number 1 pair
Tsugaike Chuo triple lift
Karamatsu high speed pair lift
Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner I lift
Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner II lift
Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner III lift
Kane-no-naru-oka Skyliner IV lift
Kane-no-naru-oka Romance lift
Official snow depth
Tsuga-no-mori: 135cm
Kane-no-naru-oka: 40cm

Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field:
The View C, North, East and part of South runs are open.
Planned lifts:
Noah Gondola
3Sen North
4Sen Line East
5Sen South
Line Lift
Official snow depth
Upper: 50cm
Lower: 10cm

Hakuba Norikura Onsen:
Part open with the Alps Number 1 pair lift, Alps Number 4 lift and Alps Number 6 high speed pair lifts planned to be operating.

Kashimayari:
Planned lifts:
Number 2 pair lift
Number 3 quad lift
Number 5 pair lift
Number 7 pair lift
Number 6 quad lift

Not open yet:

Hakuba Sanosaka: