REPORT

A “Cold Vortex” (*) moved across the Sea of Japan, bringing snow to the slopes yesterday evening and this morning! I spoke with a skier from Tokyo (pictured, left), who told me, “I usually ski in Hokkaido, so it’s been a while since I came to Tsugaike. I’m staying at Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba tonight.” This morning, heavy, wet snow was falling steadily across the upper areas of the resort.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

On the Tsuga-no-mori Slope (pictured), the firm, groomed spring corn snow base was topped with 1 to 3 cm of wet new snow, allowing for smooth, fast runs and responsive turns. In the ungroomed areas off to the sides, there was as much as 10 to 15 cm of fresh snow. The wind was somewhat strong at times, with occasional gusts kicking up snow and sending it into the air.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

Elsewhere, 2 to 3 cm of fresh wet snow had settled atop the Gotemba Course’s (pictured) moderately soft, groomed granular snow surface, making for an enjoyable ride with the naturally undulating terrain adding to the fun. Alongside the Han-no-ki HIgh-Speed Pair Lift, a digger with TGPARKS shared, “I always read your reports! The park is set for a pre-opening tomorrow, 4/17 (Thu.), with the grand opening planned for later this weekend on 4/19 (Sat.)!”
[Gotemba Course]

The Han-no-ki Slope had a 1 to 3 cm layer of wet new snow on top of nice soft spring corn snow. My skis ran smoothly on the early to mid sections, but by the end (pictured), the sticky snow had a slight braking effect. The Karamatsu Slope, with its moist, groomed spring snow, still had plenty of snow cover, allowing for a safe and enjoyable ride, just like the other open courses.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

　
＊A “Cold Vortex” is a type of low-pressure system, specifically occurring in the middle to upper layers of the troposphere (about 5,000 to 10,000 meters above the ground). Because cold, heavy air drifts in the upper atmosphere, it causes instability in the atmosphere directly below. This leads to various severe weather conditions, such as precipitation, thunderstorms, and occasionally even tornadoes.
＊The Tsugaike Ropeway will operate on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 4/4 (Fri.) to 4/27 (Sun.), and daily from 4/28 (Mon.) to 5/6 (Tue.)!
＊The Tsugaike lift operation schedule for the remainder of the season can be found here.

[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 4/16 (Wed.)]
*OPEN courses … Tsuga-no-mori, Gotemba, Han-no-ki, Cat Track, Shirakaba, Karamatsu
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00 a.m.-) and totally 4 lifts
*Fees … 3/24- Spring Season Discount 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY5,500, Elementary School Students JPY3,400

*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,000 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi