Nagano
Japan
Hakuba Valley
Natural snow at mid-mountain (1,296 m) is reliably skiable from 1 Jan to 15 Apr. At the peak of the season the village at 760 m is usually skiable (73% of days) and the summit averages 149 cm of fresh snow per fortnight.
Month by month
October to November
Natural snow at mid-mountain reached 30 cm on fewer than 5% of days.
December
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 59% of days. The summit averages 283 cm of new snow in the month.
January
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,296 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 98% of days, with a typical depth of 146 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 53%. Snow usually reaches the village too (62% of days). The summit averages 302 cm of new snow in the month.
February
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,296 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 238 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. Snow usually reaches the village too (76% of days). The summit averages 213 cm of new snow in the month.
March
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,296 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 100% of days, with a typical depth of 286 cm. The worst of the eleven seasons managed 100%. The summit averages 143 cm of new snow in the month.
April
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,296 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 92% of days, with a typical depth of 224 cm. In the worst of the eleven seasons there was none. The village is usually bare. The summit averages 58 cm of new snow in the month.
May
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 28% of days.
June to September
Natural snow at mid-mountain reached 30 cm on fewer than 5% of days.
Questions
When is the best time to ski Hakuba Valley?
For natural snow, 1 Jan to 15 Apr. In that window mid-mountain (1,296 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on at least 90% of days across eleven seasons. March is the most reliable month.
Is there snow at Hakuba Valley in December?
In December, mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 59% of days over eleven seasons, typically 47 cm deep. One or more seasons had none at all.
Does the snow reach the village at Hakuba Valley?
At its most reliable, in March, the village at 760 m had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 40% of days. Expect to ride a lift down at the end of the day.
How high is Hakuba Valley?
The modelled village is at 760 m, mid-mountain at 1,296 m and the summit at 1,831 m. The ski area itself spans 751 m to 1,827 m.
Is snow at Hakuba Valley getting more or less reliable?
Over the eleven seasons modelled, snow-sure days have gone up by about 37 per decade. Eleven seasons is too short to separate a climate trend from year-to-year swings.
What is the nearest airport to Hakuba Valley?
Toyama Kitokito (TOY) is about 58 km away in a straight line. Shinshu-Matsumoto (MMJ) is 60 km away. Road distances are longer.