Niigata snow report: base depth, 24-hour snowfall, seven-day forecast, temperature and wind for GALA Yuzawa, Naeba, Kagura, Myoko and Lotte Arai, with live cams.
Niigata splits into the Yuzawa area, close to Tokyo on the Joetsu Shinkansen (GALA Yuzawa, Naeba, Kagura, Ishiuchi Maruyama), and the heavy-snow Myoko area (Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira, Suginohara, Seki Onsen), with Lotte Arai near Joetsu. The table below gives current base depth, snowfall in the past day, the seven-day total, temperature and wind for each resort, refreshed hourly, with live cameras underneath.
Most Niigata resorts run from mid-December to late March, and high-altitude Kagura is known for a long spring season. Base depth peaks in February.
Storms off the Sea of Japan hit Myoko directly, so it collects the most snow. Several Yuzawa resorts sit lower, and around 0°C the snow gets heavy, so read the temperature column too.
Base depth is how much snow is on the ground now; snowfall is what fell in the period. Look at 24-hour snowfall for powder and base depth for coverage.
Depth is measured near the base. Upper slopes on bigger mountains usually hold more.
On windy days gondolas and upper lifts hold. Check the cameras for visibility before you go.
Which Niigata resort is easiest to reach from Tokyo? GALA Yuzawa. Gala-Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen connects straight into the resort in winter.
Where does it snow most in Niigata? The Myoko area — Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira, Suginohara and Seki Onsen — which takes Sea of Japan storms head on.
What is the difference between base depth and snowfall? Base depth is the snow on the ground now; snowfall is new snow in a set period. The table shows both separately.