AS we approach mid-powder season, I thought it might be worth seeing how we’re stacking up against the long-term averages.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has forecast a warmer and less snowy winter for much of Japan, including Hokkaido.
And when winter struggled to get going in December, I was a little worried they might be right.
But then the snows came and so did colder temperatures, and after three below average seasons there was hope that finally another big one could be on the way.
Down at the official recording station in Kutchan, which gets less snow than on the mountain, they’ve recorded a little below average snowfall and temps close to or a little above the norm.
November recorded 1.02m (average 1.2m), December 2.46m (average 3.15m), and to mid-way through January about 1.5m, with a storm set to unload at the time of going to print (January average 3.8m).
Despite what look like average stats, it’s been incredibly good up there.
And for those who’ve been enjoying waist-deep turns in some of the lightest and driest powder on the planet, what do a few centimetres of snow really mean? Not a damned thing! – The Don