Not open yet for 2026/27. We have not yet found an official opening date. The snowfall below is a model figure and does not mean the slopes are skiable.
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): 7 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 | Cloudy | 0 | −4 to 0 | 12 |
| Wed 11 Nov | Partly cloudy | 0 | −4 to 2 | 13 |
| Thu 12 Nov | Partly cloudy | 0 | 0 to 8 | 13 |
| Fri 13 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 4 to 10 | 15 |
| Sat 14 Nov | Cloudy | 0 | 4 to 12 | 7 |
| Sun 15 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | 5 to 10 | 13 |
| Mon 16 Nov | Drizzle | 0 | −5 to 8 | 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
Beyond the top of the lifts lies a field of rime-encrusted firs. In the depths of winter, guided snow treks set out from here to the Senninzawa Ice Garden, a waterfall that freezes solid only in the coldest months. The advanced Aoitori course and the cross-country trail are both FIS-certified and are used for races. Sources: zaoliza.co.jp, yamagatakanko.com, kaminoyama-spa.com, city.kaminoyama.yamagata.jp (sources read 12 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.
Only 4% of the vertical on the runs descends to the north or east. The most common direction is west (92%).
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.
This ski area does not put a camera on its own slopes. What follows are nearby cameras, not the pistes themselves.
Footage remains the copyright of each operator. JAPANSNOWLINE neither stores nor redistributes it.
Some cameras here are provided by Windy.com. Footage plays in Windy’s own player; we do not store it. Windy.com
Zao webcams & snow report — all 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zao Sarukura | 3.0 km | 253 cm | 704 |
| Zao Onsen | 4.2 km | 258 cm | 673 |
| Miyagi Zao Sumikawasu Snow Park | 6.5 km | 258 cm | 673 |
| Miyagi Zao Eboshi Resort | 9.0 km | 254 cmsame grid cell | 701 |
| Miyagi Zao Shiroishi Ski Resort | 11.0 km | 190 cm | 1240 |
The most snow falls in January. March brings 59% of January’s snowfall.
Across the 12 winters measured, the average is 254 cm, and 5 of them fell short of it. The leanest was 2015/16 with 111 cm; the biggest was 2024/25 with 357 cm (3.2 times as much).
Snowfall each winter (December–March total). The dashed line is the average; the numbers mark the leanest and the biggest winter.
1 hot spring sources with published analyses lie within 5 km of this ski area, nearest first (the hottest is 37 °C).
| Source | Distance | Temperature | pH | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ニュー蔵王 | 2.9 km | 37℃ warm | 8.6 alkaline | alkaline simple |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zaō Ropeway蔵王ロープウェイ | Landmark | 3.1 km |
| Mount Zaō蔵王連峰 | Mountain | 3.3 km |
| Okama御釜 (蔵王連峰) | Nature | 3.5 km |
| Zaō Quasi-National Park蔵王国定公園 | Nature | 4.5 km |
| Kaminoyama Castle上山城 | Historic site | 12.5 km |
| Miyagi Zao Fox Village宮城蔵王キツネ村 | Museum | 13.9 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.
Checked on the official site (12 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.
10 properties on Rakuten Travel lie within about 3 km of this ski area. The table shows the nearest 10 with a listed price.
| Property (links to Rakuten Travel) | Lowest listed (per person, tax incl.) | Rating | Distance | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 蔵王ライザ ウッディロッジ | ¥5,700 | 4.36／5 139 reviews | 0.9 km | JR山形新幹線かみのやま温泉駅からシャトルバス45分 |
| ナリサワペンション | ¥4,500 | 4.44／5 9 reviews | 1.6 km | JR山形新幹線 「かみのやま温泉駅」よりシャトルバスで約30分 |
| 野口ペンション | ¥9,600 | 5.00／5 17 reviews | 1.6 km | 山形新幹線かみのやま温泉より無料シャトルバス40分/山形自動車道山形蔵王ICより40分/東北中央道山形上山ICより30分 |
| 蔵王坊平高原 石井ペンション | ¥11,000 | 4.67／5 20 reviews | 1.6 km | 山形新幹線かみのやま温泉駅~無料シャトルバス有(通年1日3便共同運行)/東北中央道山形上山IC~蔵王エコーラインで30分 |
| ペンション ノエル | ¥9,350 | 4.71／5 39 reviews | 1.7 km | 山形新幹線「かみのやま温泉駅」よりシャトルバス約30分、山形蔵王IC⇒R13号⇒蔵王エコーライン⇒ノエル |
| ペンション ラビイハウス | ¥10,500 | 4.00／5 8 reviews | 2.0 km | 山形自動車道『山形蔵王IC』→R13→エコーライン→坊平高原/山形新幹線『かみのやま温泉駅』 |
| 蔵王エコー山荘 | ¥6,700 | 4.25／5 34 reviews | 3.0 km | かみのやま温泉駅から車で25分・蔵王スキー場10分・ライザスキー場8分・猿倉スキー場1分 |
| HANARE ^ | ¥16,704 | — | 3.0 km | 蔵王駅から車で13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)
1 places within 12 km of the slopes, as mapped on OpenStreetMap, many of them small inns and pensions. Many are not on booking sites — open the name for the website or the map.
Nearest: 1 km
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%.
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