16th Jan 2011

Weather conditions: Light snow
New snowfall: 50 cm
Snow depth: Hakuba Goryu Top : 300cm
We have huge amounts of fresh snow again this morning in Hakuba.

Goryu is reporting 50 cm of fresh snow at the top and the base cracked the 3 metre mark for the first time this season. Cortina are reporting an official snow depth on the upper slopes today of 350cm. (They are though struggling to cope as a fair few of their courses are closed as they sort it all out).

Visibility is not the best out there and with this much snow you really need some steep angles to keep moving and today is also awash with people stranded in powder. There could be worse things! Have even heard complaints that there is ‘too much snow’ – it’s always a treat to hear that. Is such a thing really possible?!

Winds from varying angles and some really strong Northerly winds at altitude pushing the temp down to close to -20 above 2000m.

Winds are affecting some lift operations at resorts – you don’t wanna be the one stuck on skyline for 20 minutes in the 25m/s gusts I tell you! If you are out there best to keep an eye on things with the resort. So generally wind-affected but there is snow everywhere you look today, so it is not hard to find powder wherever you are.

Play safe out there and best to stay on-piste… there’s no need to go out of bounds in these kind of conditions!