Some sticky snow out there yesterday…cars were so dirty in the morning as the snow melted off them and a lot of people were complaining they all of a sudden needed to wax their boards/skis…it seems that the sands that come in from China arrived as they do at the beginning of Spring. See the following article from today’s Japan Times here
Stickiness aside, a salting of snow on the cars this morning with some snow at altitude and high cloud cover. Temperatures recorded at 8:30 showed -2 at 700 m and -5 at 1600…as at 9:40 the temperature in Wadano is still -2 so no slush here this morning…skifields will be well-groomed and quiet.
Backcountry Travel Advisory:
Friday nights snowfall was really heavy snow and is bonding due to to that. The snowpack is generally stabilising but there will still be areas of instability. Fairly mild temperatures this morning but South facing solar aspects will warm quickly increasing the possibility of wet slides – exercise more caution as temperatures increase today.
Conditions are generally getting better but as well as the risk of the recent heavy snow sliding there could be old instabilities especially with warming even going down to the rain-crust of January 12th. It’s a big snow-pack and its all got to come down at some point…
Avalanche Hazard:
Alpine: Considerable
Tree line: Moderate
Below Tree Line: Moderate
See Below for International Danger scale classifications or click on the Canadian Avalanche Association web page for the International Danger Scale.
TEMPERATURE IN THE VILLAGE:
-2 degrees C.
TEMPERATURE AT TOP OF MOUNTAIN:
-5 degrees C.
WIND:
Changeable Westerlies/North-Westerlies.
VISIBILITY:
Fair
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Happo-One:
BASE DEPTH: 150 cm(at the base); 300 cm(at 1500m)
Goryu/47:
BASE DEPTH:150 cm(at the base); 355 cm(at 1500m)
Tsugaike Kogen:
BASE DEPTH: 230 cm(at the base); 345 cm(at 1500m)
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LIFT OPERATION:
Goryu Toomi, Hakuba 47, Happo-One, Tsugaike Kogen, Iwatake, Cortina, Sanosaka, Sun Alpina, Minekata, Hakuba Highland, Yanaba, all open