TIME to wax and tune those powder boards and skis – the first snowflakes for the coming season have fallen.
The first snow fall on 1984m Mt Kurodake and 2291m Mt Asahidake in the Daisetsuzan mountain range yesterday comes two weeks later than last year, but two days earlier than two years ago, thanks to a cold front moving across the island.
The first snowfall on Niseko’s resident 1898m volcano Mt Yotei came just one day later this morning.
Last year’s first flakes on top of Yotei-zan came on October 5. The previous year was September 25, and the year before that October 10.
The Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper said Kurodake ropeway staff staying in a hut near the peak of the mountain confirmed the first 1cm of snow had settled at 5am, when the air temperature was -5C at the peak.
Stay tuned to Powderlife.com as we bring you all the latest on the coming snow season, and if you haven't booked your accommodation yet explore your options now.