Hakuba is presently sitting under cloudy skies and it is fairly warm out there on the resorts today. Still great skiing on packed powder and groomed runs, however the warming trend over the past 2 days has compacted the snowpack and moistened the dry powder we once had. Expect wind packed powder and wind slab on exposed ridges in the alpine.
Still hardly anyone out there on the hills so hardly any lift lines and still pockets of powder to be found on the edges of runs and in the trees
New snow overnight not significantly enough to make much difference, although at 10PM last night big flakes were falling. Only added up to a centimeter or two over the night.
Partly cloudy skies expected tomorrow (Christmas) and rain in the evening, maybe Santa can bring snow instead!!
Present avalanche conditions:
High (in the alpine)
Considerable (in the tree line)
Considerable (below tree line)
Lots of wind transport over the past two days has created a thick wind slab on lee-ward slopes. Expect cornices and wind slab on NE facing aspects. The warming trend of the weather will create a heavier wetter snowpack and some melt freeze crust will also be found on lower solar radiated aspects. Due caution should be taken entering steeper start zones in the alpine as snowpack will be variable and possible instability around convex ridges and rocks.
Official resort snow depths on 24th Dec 09:
Happo-one:
80cm (Shirakaba)
95cm (Sakka/Kitaone)
190cm (Kurobishi/Usagidaira)
Hakuba Goryu:
120cm (Iimori)
125cm (Toomi)
185cm (Alps daira)
Hakuba 47:
160cm
Tsugaike Kogen:
120cm (Kanenonaruoka)
100cm (Maruyama)
200cm (Tsuganomori)
Hakuba Iwatake:
80cm (Shomen)
120cm (Sancho)
Sun Alpina Sanosaka:
95cm