REPORT

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s three-month forecast for eastern Japan released on 11/25 (Tue.), average temperatures from December through February are expected to be near normal. The one-month forecast issued on 12/4 (Thu.) also called for December temperatures to be near normal, but the updated one-month forecast released on 12/18 (Thu.) revised this outlook to above-average temperatures through 1/2 (Fri.). As a result, the rain that fell yesterday cooled and refroze overnight, leaving icy snow surfaces along the route from the Champion Parking Area up to the gondola mid-station.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

I met a student from Kyoto University (pictured) who told me, “We’re here for our ski club training camp. I’m being careful to avoid snow clumps on the surface, but that actually makes for great practice.” With occasional sunshine and fine snow blowing in on a cold northwesterly wind, the Tsuga-no-mori Slope featured a well-set groomed surface of moist snow, made from a mix of fresh and wet snow.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

The most enjoyable skiing this morning was along the Han-no-ki High-Speed Pair (pictured), where the groomed surface was made up of moderately firm, well-set moist snow. My skis ran smoothly and the edge grip was excellent. In the ungroomed sections from the mid to lower part of the Han-no-ki Slope, 2 to 3 cm of slightly moist new snow sat atop firm, uneven wet snow, creating a more variable surface.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

Around 8:30 a.m., patches of blue sky appeared and the snowfall briefly eased (pictured), but by around 9 a.m. fine snow had begun falling again. The Gotemba Course remained ungroomed and very firm. A few bushes were visible near the bottom of the Han-no-ki Slope.
[Tsuga-no-mori Slope]

　　
[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 12/22 (Mon.)]
*Most Courses are OPEN (= Umanose, Champion, Oyana-no-hara are CLOSED)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (9:00～), Tsuga 2, Han-no-ki High-Speed Pair, Han-no-ki 3, Kane-no-naruoka Skyliner 2, Romance, Maruyama Quad
*Fees … 1-Day Ticket Adult JPY8,200, 6 to 12 y/o JPY4,900, Over 60 y/o JPY6,700
　
*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi