SnowBrains Forecast: Spotty 40-80 cm for Japan This Week - SnowBrains

"The first wave is the best-aligned signal, with the guidance set converging on a Friday night through Sunday snowfall plume across Japan. The timing and north-to-south progression are reasonably consistent, while intensity remains uneven by model. Hokkaido and nearby northern mountain zones, especially Furano and Kiroro, are the clear winners for the weekend with deeper totals, while central and eastern Honshu generally see lighter, more variable accumulations."

"Temperatures during active precipitation are mostly well below freezing to around freezing, so the snow is largely cold. Snow-to-liquid ratios cluster around 8 to 15 to 1 in this phase, which supports dense-to-moderate quality with some lighter fluff where SLR stays above 11 to 1. Exposed ridgelines can still be rough with gusts commonly in the 40 to 70 km/h range."

"After a brief weakening into early week, another wave is hinted at from around Tuesday through Thursday, but model agreement on magnitude is weaker and timing is looser. For this later window, temperatures remain cold enough for snow across most basins, though transient warming may lift the snow line in parts of central Honshu at times."

Japan anticipates two distinct snowfall periods from late February through early March. The primary wave, occurring Friday night through Sunday, shows strong model consensus with reliable snow across Hokkaido and northern mountain zones, particularly benefiting Furano and Kiroro with deeper accumulations. Central and eastern Honshu will experience lighter, more variable snow. Temperatures remain well below freezing, producing dense-to-moderate quality snow with snow-to-liquid ratios between 8 to 15 to 1. Wind gusts range from 40 to 70 km/h on exposed ridgelines. A secondary wave from Tuesday through Thursday shows weaker model agreement and looser timing, with uncertain distribution across resorts. Temperatures stay cold enough for snow across most areas, though central Honshu may experience transient warming. Currently open resorts like Furano, Kiroro, Niseko Grand Hirafu, and Rusutsu present the strongest skiing opportunities during this period.

Read at SnowBrains