No snow on the ground or falling right now. Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. Snow depth and the seven-day outlook appear once snow is on the ground or forecast.
A weather-model figure, worked out the same way for every ski area, and lower than what actually falls. Use it to compare ski areas, not against the resort’s own totals. How we measure →
This season so far (1 Nov to 9 Nov): 1 cm. The average for these dates is under 10 cm, so we do not give a percentage yet. The average is over twelve winters on the same weather model. Across Japan →
Directly ahead of the slopes rises Kurobushiyama, a peak faced with sheer cliffs. Snowboarders can ride anywhere on the ski area. On winter weekends and public holidays, a free shuttle bus runs from Sakurambo-Higashine Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen. Sources: yamagatakanko.com, jxj.co.jp (sources read 12 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
Modelled from weather data the same way at all 3,069 ski areas we cover. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
The tick marks the median across every Japanese ski area we measure. All four bars run the same way — longer is better.
The quality score leaves out how much snow falls (it uses temperature, frequency, rain and wind).
Within 50 km in a straight line. Ski areas in the same weather-model cell (about 30 km across) get the same figure.
| Ski area | Distance | Seasonal snowfall | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanagasa Kogen Ski Area | 11.0 km | 321 cm | 401 |
| Spring Valley Izumi Kogen | 15.0 km | 146 cm | 1714 |
| Izumigatake Ski Resort | 16.0 km | 146 cm | 1714 |
| Zao Onsen | 33.0 km | 258 cm | 673 |
| Miyagi Zao Sumikawasu Snow Park | 34.0 km | 258 cm | 673 |
Compare side by side with Hanagasa Kogen Ski Area and Spring Valley Izumi Kogen →
Counted from the runs and lifts drawn on OpenStreetMap, within the boundary of the ski area. These are not the resort’s own published figures.
60% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east; plenty of the terrain faces the sun as well, so the lean is modest.
See past trail maps on Skimap.org ↗
Source: OpenSkiMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0). How finely ski areas are drawn varies by region, so treat the counts as indicative. Vertical is the difference between the highest and lowest points of the mapped runs and lifts.
The most snow falls in January. March brings 47% of January’s snowfall.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 302 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 140 cm; the biggest was 2024/25 with 394 cm (2.8 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
This ski area does not put a camera on its own slopes. The nearest live view is the road below.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Within 20 km in a straight line, nearest first. Some lie over a pass that is closed in winter.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sakunami Onsen作並温泉 | Hot spring town | 13.1 km |
| Saihō-ji Temple西方寺 (仙台市) | Temple | 13.3 km |
| Ginzan Onsen銀山温泉 | Hot spring town | 14.9 km |
| Yama-dera Temple立石寺 | Temple | 16.6 km |
| Miyagikyo distillery宮城峡蒸溜所 | Landmark | 17 km |
| Akiu Great Falls秋保大滝 | Nature | 18.6 km |
Chosen from the places most read about on Wikipedia, favouring those with an English article. Based on the Japanese Wikipedia lists of sights in each prefecture, as compiled in travel-log-data (CC BY-SA 4.0). English names from Wikidata (CC0). The content of this section is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
We have not yet checked the family facilities (kids’ area, childcare, parking, rental) on the official site. See the official site ↗
Other booking sites: Booking.com ↗ · Agoda ↗ · Rakuten Travelad ↗
“ad” marks links that pay us a commission if you book. Links without it are not affiliated.
Planning a trip · 28 Sep 2026
El Niño and Japan's Snow in 2026/27: The Last Five El Niño Winters Averaged 88%NOAA expects a strong or very strong El Niño this winter. We measured every Japanese ski area across the last 12 winters: El Niño winters ran 88% of normal, and the strongest of the twelve left Japan at 63%. But Hakuba held 92% of its average that winter while Niseko fell to 57%.
Where the snow falls · 2 Nov 2026
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