Forecast today: Clear skies
Check out the Ski Club’s holidays available in this resort
Hakuba is home to three fantastic main ski areas. Happo-One is the largest of these, covering 52km of pistes, including the 1998 Olympic ski racing pistes. Hakuba 47/Goryu is around half the size but a fun ski area and Iwatake has access to 50km of further slopes, but a much smaller vertical. Traditional guesthouses are the order of the day in terms of accommodation and as you might expect, the food is fantastic and there are numerous hot spring onsens to unwind in at the end of the ski day.
All of the ski areas have options for beginners and intermediates, but the plentiful snowfall means that most will want to be confident skiing powder before heading half way around the world to go skiing. This also means you will make the most of the Japanese Alps’ epic terrain and big vertical.
For advanced and expert skiers and boarders, the tree skiing here is second to none. Hiring a mountain guide and carrying a pair of touring skins will make a big difference, but within the ski resorts there are some good inbound areas.
In particular the Hikage zone at Iwatake, the open bowls at the top of Hakuba 47/Goryu and the Kurobishi off piste area at Happo-One.
We’d recommend basing yourself in Hakuba itself rather than at one of the resorts as this will give you the freedom to travel around. The town of Hakuba has a great atmosphere with a wide range of bars and restaurants. There are good western options but the main attractions are the excellent Japanese food and izakayas (Japanese bars).
By far the best way to unwind after a day on the hill is in a traditional Japanese onsen – these are littered throughout the valley so don’t worry about finding one!
| Wed 4 Feb | Thu 5 Feb | Fri 6 Feb | Sat 7 Feb | Sun 8 Feb | Mon 9 Feb | Tue 10 Feb | Wed 11 Feb | Thu 12 Feb | Fri 13 Feb | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
| Weather | ![]() Clear skies |
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![]() Partly cloudy | ![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Generally clear | ![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Partly cloudy |
![]() Mainly cloudy | ![]() Occasional snow |
![]() Occasional snow |
![]() Occasional snow | ![]() Occasional snow |
![]() Occasional snow |
![]() Rather cloudy | ![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Generally clear |
![]() Clear skies | ![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Rather cloudy |
![]() Mainly cloudy | ![]() Light snow |
![]() Light snow |
![]() Light snow | ![]() Light snow shwr |
![]() Snow grains |
![]() Generally clear | ![]() Broken clouds |
![]() Broken clouds |
![]() Mainly cloudy |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0.2 cm | 1.2 cm | 2.3 cm | 2.2 cm | 3.1 cm | 1.8 cm | 0.6 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0.2 cm | 2.2 cm | 5 cm | 5.6 cm | 1.7 cm | 0.8 cm | 0.2 cm | 0.1 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.4 cm |
| Max temp | 3.4°c | 2.9°c | -5.4°c | 3.6°c | 2.9°c | -4.2°c | 3.5°c | 2.2°c | -6.6°c | -4.9°c | -5.9°c | -10.3°c | -8.3°c | -9.7°c | -14.4°c | -5.3°c | -5.3°c | -11.9°c | 2.5°c | 2.5°c | -4.9°c | 1.9°c | 1.5°c | -2.2°c | -0.4°c | -1.2°c | -7.9°c | 0.1°c | 0.1°c | -7.9°c |
| Min temp | -3.9°c | -5.4°c | -6.7°c | -1.5°c | -4.2°c | -5.1°c | -0.3°c | -6.6°c | -8.4°c | -7.8°c | -10.3°c | -11.2°c | -9.7°c | -14.4°c | -15.4°c | -10.4°c | -11.9°c | -12.5°c | -4.5°c | -5.2°c | -5.6°c | -0.6°c | -2.2°c | -3.8°c | -1.9°c | -7.9°c | -9.3°c | -4.4°c | -7.9°c | -9.6°c |
| Feels like temp | -7.6°c | -0.5°c | -9.2°c | -4.9°c | -0.9°c | -9.1°c | -4.6°c | -1.9°c | -10.3°c | -7.8°c | -9.6°c | -10.3°c | -15°c | -16.7°c | -21.2°c | -15.9°c | -9.9°c | -11.9°c | -4.5°c | -1.1°c | -10.5°c | -5°c | -2.2°c | -6.2°c | -5.3°c | -6.7°c | -13.4°c | -7.7°c | -3.4°c | -7.9°c |
| AM | PM | Night | |
| Weather | ![]() Clear skies |
![]() Generally clear |
![]() Partly cloudy |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm |
| Max temp | 3.4°c | 2.9°c | -5.4°c |
| Min temp | -3.9°c | -5.4°c | -6.7°c |
| Feels like temp | -7.6°c | -0.5°c | -9.2°c |
| AM | PM | Night | |
| Weather | ![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Mainly fair |
![]() Generally clear |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm |
| Max temp | 3.6°c | 2.9°c | -4.2°c |
| Min temp | -1.5°c | -4.2°c | -5.1°c |
| Feels like temp | -4.9°c | -0.9°c | -9.1°c |
| Wed 4 Feb | Thu 5 Feb | Fri 6 Feb | Sat 7 Feb | Sun 8 Feb | Mon 9 Feb | Tue 10 Feb | Wed 11 Feb | Thu 12 Feb | Fri 13 Feb | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
| Weather | Clear skies |
Generally clear |
Partly cloudy | Mainly fair |
Mainly fair |
Mainly fair | Generally clear |
Partly cloudy |
Mainly cloudy | Snow grains |
Occasional snow |
Occasional snow | Occasional snow |
Occasional snow |
Rather cloudy | Generally clear |
Generally clear |
Clear skies | Mainly fair |
Rather cloudy |
Snow grains | Rain |
Rain |
Rain and snow | Snow shower |
Light snow shwr |
Mainly fair | Broken clouds |
Broken clouds |
Rather cloudy |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0.1 cm | 0.5 cm | 1.3 cm | 1.5 cm | 2.2 cm | 1.1 cm | 0.3 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0.2 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0.4 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.3 cm | 0.2 cm | 0.1 cm | 0.1 cm | 0.3 cm |
| Max temp | 6.8°c | 6.8°c | -0.1°c | 8.5°c | 8.1°c | 0.8°c | 8.6°c | 8.1°c | -0.3°c | 1.1°c | 0.7°c | -3.2°c | -2.8°c | -3.9°c | -7.9°c | 0.4°c | 0.4°c | -6.3°c | 7.8°c | 7.8°c | 0.3°c | 6.6°c | 6.6°c | 3.1°c | 4.8°c | 4.5°c | -2.2°c | 5.4°c | 5.4°c | -2.5°c |
| Min temp | -2.6°c | -0.1°c | -2°c | 1.2°c | 0.8°c | -0.4°c | 2.9°c | -0.3°c | -2.1°c | -3°c | -3.2°c | -4.5°c | -4.9°c | -7.9°c | -10°c | -6.9°c | -6.3°c | -7.9°c | -2.1°c | 0.3°c | -0.2°c | 2.6°c | 3.1°c | 1°c | 1.2°c | -2.2°c | -4.4°c | -1.1°c | -2.5°c | -5°c |
| Feels like temp | -2.6°c | 4.3°c | -0.1°c | 1.1°c | 5.4°c | -1.9°c | 0.7°c | 5.3°c | -3.3°c | -6.1°c | -3.1°c | -3.2°c | -8.8°c | -9.7°c | -12.5°c | -10.6°c | -3.3°c | -6.3°c | -2.1°c | 5.1°c | -2.6°c | 0.4°c | 4.2°c | 0.6°c | 1.1°c | 1°c | -5.7°c | -1.1°c | 2.5°c | -2.5°c |
| AM | PM | Night | |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm |
| Max temp | 6.8°c | 6.8°c | -0.1°c |
| Min temp | -2.6°c | -0.1°c | -2°c |
| Feels like temp | -2.6°c | 4.3°c | -0.1°c |
| AM | PM | Night | |
| Weather | |
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| Snow expected | 0 cm | 0 cm | 0 cm |
| Max temp | 8.5°c | 8.1°c | 0.8°c |
| Min temp | 1.2°c | 0.8°c | -0.4°c |
| Feels like temp | 1.1°c | 5.4°c | -1.9°c |
| Snowfall | Last Snowfall | 03/02/2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Next 3 days | 2.5 cm | |
| Depths | Upper piste depth | 310 cm |
| Lower piste depth | 80 cm | |
| Snow conditions | Snow quality | Powder snow |
| Lifts | Lifts open | 21 out of 21 |
| Resort opening date | Thu 04 Dec 2025 | |
| Resort closing date | Wed 06 May 2026 |
Updated 03/02
A brief patch of milder weather puts a temporary halt to the madness that has been Jappow this winter. Temperatures will briefly tip into positive at mid-mountain level on Honshu, whilst Hokkaido stays below freezing for this period.
The madness resumes unabated, however, as the week concludes. Steady snowfall hits Honshu as temperatures drop, building to a big dump of a foot of snow on Sunday. Further north, temperatures fall off a cliff, with steady snowfall totalling about a foot of the silly soft stuff between Thursday night and Sunday evening.