Rain and gloom. Well, after a nice sunny spring day, it feels like a very Monday day. One day you can be happy to be at work, doing your part to build society while things get wet out here in the hills. It could turn to snow later, and there is that possibility of a heavy snow on Wednesday. The predicting freezing level of 1350-1600 meters kind of says otherwise, but after this year, anything is possible.

Actually pretty fun, if very slow skiing in the backcountry yesterday, at least on sun-warmed slopes. That fresh snow of a few days ago really slowed things down where it remained in shadowy areas, and you couldn’t really say it was corn…. Might even be better today with the rain lubrication. If not so much fun to be out in, though.

I’ve added closing dates, as we are getting close. Note that Akakan and Seki Onsen plan to keep going to Golden Week in May; let’s hope the snow holds!

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Akakura Kanko:
250 cm, 3°; closing May 6

Akakura Onsen:
235cm, -1°; closing April 8

Ikenotaira Onsen:
205cm, 2°

Myoko Suginohara:
140cm, 3°; closing April 1

Seki Onsen:
400 cm, -1°; closing May 6

Myoko Ski Park:
190 cm, 6°; closing April 1

Kyukamura RunRun:
200 cm, 5°; closing April 1

Lotte Arai Resort:
410cm, 6.4°; Exciter and Discovery permanently closed; Mamushigaeshi and Rindou Lower closed; Funaishi-zawa, Happy Place and Benzaku-zawa in the avalanche-controlled areas open; others closed, some for the season (see website for updates); no clear posted closing date (will check!)

Tangram Ski Circus:
140 cm, 3°; closing April 1

Madarao Kogen:
170 cm, 5°; closing April 1

Kurohime Kogen Snow Park:
140cm, 3°; closing April 1