The 2026/27 season is planned to open on 19 Dec (the resort’s announcement; it moves with the snow). The snowfall below is a model figure and does not mean the slopes are skiable.
This season is planned to run until 22 Mar (the resort’s announcement).
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): 8 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 →
Updated: 10 Nov 2026, 12:15
| Date | Weather | Snow (cm) | Low / high (°C) | Wind (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 10 Nov | Partly cloudy | 0 | −4 to 1 | 9 |
| Wed 11 Nov | Partly cloudy | 0 | −4 to 3 | 9 |
| Thu 12 Nov | Cloudy | 0 | 0 to 9 | 7 |
| Fri 13 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 5 to 11 | 20 |
| Sat 14 Nov | Fog | 0 | 5 to 11 | 17 |
| Sun 15 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 7 to 10 | 7 |
| Mon 16 Nov | Fog | 0 | −4 to 7 | 19 |
The five add up to the 100-point Powder Score: more fresh snow, more on the way and colder air all push it up. How we measure
Shizukuishi hosted the 1993 Alpine World Ski Championships, the only time the event has been held in Asia. That race course is not open to regular skiing; you can ride it only on a private snowcat tour sold to one group a day. From the base the only ropeway in Iwate climbs the hill, with Mount Iwate in view across the slopes. Sources: princehotels.co.jp (sources read 13 Oct 2026; an AI draft the site operator has not yet checked)
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.
76% 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.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Appi and Hachimantai webcams & snow report — all 11 ski areas →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amihari Onsen Ski Resort | 5.1 km | 358 cmsame grid cell | 262 |
| Iwate Kogen Snow Park | 5.9 km | 332 cm | 345 |
| Hachimantai Resort Panorama Ski Are | 12.0 km | 329 cm | 360 |
| Hachimantai Resort Shimokura Ski area | 13.0 km | 329 cm | 360 |
| Tazawako Ski Resort | 13.0 km | 318 cm | 408 |
Compare side by side with Amihari Onsen Ski Resort and Iwate Kogen Snow Park →
The most snow falls in January. March brings 69% of January’s snowfall. That is a gentler fall than the median for ski areas in Japan (52%). In amount, March brings 72 cm, more than the median of 46 cm.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 358 cm, and 6 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 169 cm; the biggest was 2017/18 with 501 cm (3.0 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
6 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 54.8 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 雫石高倉高倉の湯 | 1.5 km | 54.8℃ hot | 6.8 neutral | — |
| 玄武若返りの湯 | 2.5 km | 28.2℃ lukewarm | 7.4 neutral | — |
| 篠崎 | 2.9 km | 15.4℃ cold | 7.7 mildly alkaline | simple |
| ぬくもりぬくもりの湯 | 3.4 km | 39.2℃ warm | 8.1 mildly alkaline | simple |
| 治山事務所 | 4 km | 51.2℃ hot | 7.7 mildly alkaline | — |
These are analyses of hot spring sources, not a list of baths you can visit. They date from 1910 to 2005, many from decades ago, so today’s temperature and chemistry may differ. Names are as recorded in Japanese. Temperature and pH bands follow Japan’s standard for analysing hot springs.
Source: processed from the hot spring analysis data in the Geothermal Information Database (GRES-DB), Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
Within 20 km in a straight line, nearest first. Some lie over a pass that is closed in winter.
| Place | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Koiwai Farm小岩井農場 | Nature | 9.3 km |
| Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant松川地熱発電所 | Landmark | 9.7 km |
| Akita-Komagatake秋田駒ヶ岳 | Mountain | 10.1 km |
| Mount Iwate岩手山 | Mountain | 10.4 km |
| Nyuto Spa Resort乳頭温泉郷 | Hot spring town | 11.9 km |
| Hachimantai八幡平 | Mountain | 20 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.
Getting there
Source: princehotels.co.jp · checked 1 Nov 2026. Shuttle days and times change with the season; check the official site before you go.
Checked on the official site (13 Oct 2026) · Source. “Not checked” means we have not looked yet. Compare with other ski areas →
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese.
7 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within about 3 km of this ski area. The table shows the nearest 7 with a listed price.
| Property (links to Rakuten Travel) | Lowest listed (per person, tax incl.) | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 雫石プリンスホテル | ¥5,002 | 3.92／5 1844 reviews | 1.5 km | 雫石駅~車で約20分/東北道盛岡IC~R46経由約30分/盛岡駅又は雫石駅~ホテルまでのシャトルバス予約制有 |
| 温泉ペンション くまさんち | ¥6,100 | 2.25／5 11 reviews | 2.4 km | JR 雫石駅よりお車にて約20分 |
| 玄武温泉ロッヂたちばな | ¥7,700 | 3.50／5 34 reviews | 2.4 km | 盛岡駅よりお車にて約30分 |
| 民宿 高見荘 | ¥4,900 | 5.00／5 16 reviews | 2.8 km | 盛岡駅より田沢湖線・雫石駅下車 車で約20分/東北自動車道・盛岡ICより国道46号線を秋田方面 車で約20分 |
| 雫石南網張ありね温泉 ゆこたんの森 | ¥10,800 | 4.56／5 329 reviews | 3.1 km | JR秋田新幹線 田沢湖線 雫石駅よりお車にて20分 |
Prices are the lowest Rakuten Travel lists; a property name, or “Pick dates and guests” above, shows prices and rooms for your dates.
Contains advertising. Property names and Rakuten Travel’s booking pages are in Japanese. · Property data by Rakuten Travel (Supported by Rakuten Developers)
We have no facility list for the 12 km around here yet — search the booking sites below.
Accommodation data: OpenStreetMap
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%.
Planning a trip · 15 Sep 2026
When Do Ski Resorts Open in Japan? 2026/27 Dates and First SnowPlanning a trip · 7 Sep 2026
Where in Japan Do You Get the Most Powder Days?