Hakuba Snow Report December 23

Snow was on the radar but we were let off light with only a sprinkle in the valley and 5cms of fresh on the runs at Goryu. Bottom slopes are still brown with a shake of white on top though there may be some stashes of wind-blown on the sides of the runs. Temperatures really came down yesterday but we missed the precipitation unfortunately. 

26th and 27th are still showing big snowmen and we really need two solid days of snow to get our base on.

TEMPERATURE IN THE VILLAGE:

-2 degrees C.

TEMPERATURE AT TOP OF MOUNTAIN:

-2 degrees C.

WIND:

Light

VISIBILITY:

Poor above 1600m

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Goryu:

BASE DEPTH: 70 cm (at 1500m)

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LIFT OPERATION:

Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba 47, Happo-One, Tsugaike Kogen (all limited operation)

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BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL ADVISORY AS AT DECEMBER 22:

1 degree celcius and presently mixed rain and snow at 1500m. Rain to 2000m Sunday night as precipitation began with the snow line decending with decrease in temperature. Today the freezing level may rise again causing rain to the tops of the Hakuba ski resorts and possibly above. 

Snow is expected to continue falling above the freezing level through tuesday. 

Due caution is needed if traveling in the back country today as the new wieght of rain and low density snow has added rapid load to the snow pack and developed cornices. This new snow will not be bonding quickly to the sun crust and wind deposited snow below. expect natural and human triggered avalanches with in the new storm snow and at the past snow surface and new storm snow interface. 

Recent high winds in the Alpine have created large wind deposits of snow on NE lee slopes. With the change in wind direction this morning wind loading of West slopes will also begin with present moderate winds out of the East. Caution around cornices as new wieght on the cornices may cause them to colaps and trigger avalanches on the slopes below. Lee slope has changed with the new change in wind direction.

– Rapid increase of weight on snow pack
– Cornice fall
– Development of cornices in lee slopes
– Lee side loading
– Due caution on cross loaded slopes
– Poor bonding at or around buried crust
– Stay away from steep and convex terrain
DANGER LEVEL:
High