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Ski resort in Nagano, Japan
Hakuba Valley
Ten ski resorts at the foot of the Northern Japan Alps in Nagano, which hosted events at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Forecast updated , when it was 22:00 in Hakuba Valley (GMT+9).
Hakuba Valley snow forecast at 1,831 m (top lift)
Next 24 hours on the upper mountain
No snow in the next 24 hours.
No snow expected in the next 7 days.
High confidence, all three forecast models agree
No snow is forecast for Hakuba Valley at the top lift (1,831 m / 6,000 ft) in the next 7 days, and all three weather models we compare agree. Expect temperatures from 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) and the freezing level near 4,700 m (15,400 ft) over the next day.
- Temperature now
- 11 °C (52 °F)
- Freezing level
- 4,700 m (15,400 ft)
- Wind
- 5 km/h (3 mph), gusts 16 km/h (10 mph)
Hakuba Valley hour by hour, on the upper mountain
Hourly snowfallNo rain or snow on the upper mountain in Hakuba Valley in the next 24 hours.
Hakuba Valley 7-day snow forecast, on the upper mountain
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Tonight | Dry11 °C (52 °F) · freezing level 4,700 m (15,400 ft) | No snow |
| Sat | Dry11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) · freezing level 4,700 m (15,400 ft) | No snow |
| Sun | Dry11 to 18 °C (52 to 64 °F) · gusts 44 km/h (27 mph) · freezing level 4,900 m (16,100 ft) | No snow |
| Mon | Rain13 to 16 °C (55 to 61 °F) · gusts 49 km/h (30 mph) · freezing level 5,500 m (18,000 ft) | No snow |
| Tue | Dry9 to 17 °C (48 to 63 °F) · freezing level 5,300 m (17,400 ft) | No snow |
| Wed | Rain9 to 16 °C (48 to 61 °F) · freezing level 4,750 m (15,600 ft) | No snow |
| Thu | Rain10 to 16 °C (50 to 61 °F) · freezing level 4,450 m (14,600 ft) | No snow |
Hakuba Valley 14-day snow outlook, on the upper mountain
Days 8 to 14. Only two of our three models run this far ahead, and forecasts at this range often change, so read this as a guide to the pattern rather than a plan.
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Sep | Dry9 to 16 °C (48 to 61 °F) | No snow |
| Sat 26 Sep | Rain8 to 13 °C (46 to 55 °F) | No snow |
| Sun 27 Sep | Rain8 to 13 °C (46 to 55 °F) | No snow |
| Mon 28 Sep | Rain8 to 12 °C (46 to 54 °F) | No snow |
| Tue 29 Sep | Rain5 to 11 °C (41 to 52 °F) | No snow |
| Wed 30 Sep | Rain6 to 10 °C (43 to 50 °F) | No snow |
| Thu 1 Oct | Dry5 to 10 °C (41 to 50 °F) | No snow |
How much snow is there in Hakuba Valley on the upper mountain?
No snow on the ground
This is an estimate from weather models, not a measurement, so it can differ from the depth a resort reports on its pistes. Check the official snow report before you travel.
Hakuba Valley snow forecast at 740 m (village)
Next 24 hours in the village
No snow in the next 24 hours.
No snow expected in the next 7 days.
High confidence, all three forecast models agree
No snow is forecast for Hakuba Valley in the village (740 m / 2,400 ft) in the next 7 days, and all three weather models we compare agree. Expect temperatures from 16 to 25 °C (61 to 77 °F) and the freezing level near 4,700 m (15,400 ft) over the next day.
- Temperature now
- 17 °C (63 °F)
- Freezing level
- 4,700 m (15,400 ft)
- Wind
- 4 km/h (2 mph), gusts 15 km/h (9 mph)
Hakuba Valley hour by hour, in the village
Hourly snowfallNo rain or snow in the village in Hakuba Valley in the next 24 hours.
Hakuba Valley 7-day snow forecast, in the village
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Tonight | Dry17 °C (63 °F) · freezing level 4,700 m (15,400 ft) | No snow |
| Sat | Dry16 to 25 °C (61 to 77 °F) · freezing level 4,700 m (15,400 ft) | No snow |
| Sun | Dry18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F) · gusts 40 km/h (25 mph) · freezing level 4,950 m (16,200 ft) | No snow |
| Mon | Rain19 to 23 °C (66 to 73 °F) · gusts 45 km/h (28 mph) · freezing level 5,500 m (18,000 ft) | No snow |
| Tue | Rain15 to 23 °C (59 to 73 °F) · freezing level 5,250 m (17,200 ft) | No snow |
| Wed | Rain14 to 23 °C (57 to 73 °F) · freezing level 4,700 m (15,400 ft) | No snow |
| Thu | Dry16 to 23 °C (61 to 73 °F) · freezing level 4,450 m (14,600 ft) | No snow |
Hakuba Valley 14-day snow outlook, in the village
Days 8 to 14. Only two of our three models run this far ahead, and forecasts at this range often change, so read this as a guide to the pattern rather than a plan.
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Sep | Dry15 to 23 °C (59 to 73 °F) | No snow |
| Sat 26 Sep | Rain14 to 20 °C (57 to 68 °F) | No snow |
| Sun 27 Sep | Rain15 to 19 °C (59 to 66 °F) | No snow |
| Mon 28 Sep | Rain14 to 19 °C (57 to 66 °F) | No snow |
| Tue 29 Sep | Rain12 to 18 °C (54 to 64 °F) | No snow |
| Wed 30 Sep | Rain11 to 16 °C (52 to 61 °F) | No snow |
| Thu 1 Oct | Dry11 to 18 °C (52 to 64 °F) | No snow |
How much snow is there in Hakuba Valley in the village?
No snow on the ground
This is an estimate from weather models, not a measurement, so it can differ from the depth a resort reports on its pistes. Check the official snow report before you travel.
Where is Hakuba Valley?
- Prefecture
- Nagano
- Country
- Japan
- Mountains
- Hida Mountains
- Village
- 740 m
- Top lift
- 1,831 m
- Vertical
- 1,091 m
- Season
- Late November to Early May
- Official
- Snow report, Piste map, Avalanche bulletin
- Website
- www.hakubavalley.com
About Hakuba Valley
Hakuba Valley groups ten snow resorts in northwestern Nagano Prefecture, at the base of the Northern Japan Alps. They include Hakuba Happo-One, Hakuba47, ABLE Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba Iwatake, Tsugaike and Hakuba Cortina. The highest lift-served point is 1,831 m at Happo-One, and the lowest base is 740 m at Hakuba Sanosaka.
Happo-One hosted the downhill, super-G and combined events at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
The snow
Hakuba’s ten resorts sit at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps, and the mountains behind them are high enough to squeeze the Sea of Japan storms hard. In our record it snows on about 23 days at mid-mountain in January and 21 in December, the highest figures anywhere in this record. The valley floor is low, around 700 m, so the lower slopes can be wet when the storms are mild; the upper mountain at Happo-One, up to 1,831 m, is where the snow is. Snow was on the ground every Christmas Day in the last ten years.
Who it suits
Skiers who want steeper, bigger terrain than Hokkaido offers, with real alpine scenery. Happo-One hosted the 1998 Olympic downhill; Cortina and Tsugaike are known for tree skiing; Goryu and 47 link. The resorts are not lift-linked, so a bus or car matters. The village is more Japanese in character than Niseko.
Getting there
The Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Nagano from Tokyo in about an hour and a half, with buses to Hakuba in about an hour. Direct buses run from Tokyo and from Haneda and Narita airports.
When does it snow in Hakuba Valley?
In Hakuba Valley, snow falls on about 23 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from November to April.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 days | 18 days | 14 days | 6 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 1 days | 8 days | 21 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall at mid-mountain, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Hakuba Valley month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23 | 27% | −10 to −3 °C (14 to 27 °F) |
| February | 18 | 20% | −9 to −2 °C (16 to 28 °F) |
| March | 14 | 13% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| April | 6 | 4% | 0 to 9 °C (32 to 48 °F) |
| May | <1 | 0% | 5 to 15 °C (41 to 59 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 10 to 19 °C (50 to 66 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 15 to 23 °C (59 to 73 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 16 to 24 °C (61 to 75 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 13 to 20 °C (55 to 68 °F) |
| October | 1 | 0% | 6 to 13 °C (43 to 55 °F) |
| November | 8 | 8% | −1 to 7 °C (30 to 45 °F) |
| December | 21 | 27% | −7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F) |
Snow in Hakuba Valley in November
In November, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 8 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 8% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 7 °C (30 to 45 °F).
Snow in Hakuba Valley in December
In December, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 21 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 27% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −7 to 0 °C (19 to 32 °F).
Snow in Hakuba Valley in January
In January, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 23 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 27% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −10 to −3 °C (14 to 27 °F).
Snow in Hakuba Valley in February
In February, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 18 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 20% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −9 to −2 °C (16 to 28 °F).
Snow in Hakuba Valley in March
In March, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 14 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Hakuba Valley in April
In April, Hakuba Valley gets snow on about 6 days at mid-mountain, and the month brings about 4% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 9 °C (32 to 48 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Hakuba Valley?
Of the last ten winters in Hakuba Valley, 2021/22 was the snowiest, about 21% above the ten-year average at mid-mountain. The leanest was 2022/23, about 15% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 20 February 2017.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 91% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 107% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 95% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 87% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 99% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 121% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 85% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 107% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 118% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 89% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Hakuba Valley
Does Hakuba Valley have snow at Christmas?
Hakuba Valley had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in every one of those years.
Does Hakuba Valley have snow at New Year?
Hakuba Valley had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in every one of those years.
Does Hakuba Valley have snow in mid-February?
Hakuba Valley had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.
Does Hakuba Valley have snow at Easter?
Hakuba Valley had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 at mid-mountain. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 5 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Hakuba Valley?
It snows on about 90 days a year in Hakuba Valley at mid-mountain, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 23 days.
What is the snowiest month in Hakuba Valley?
January is the snowiest month in Hakuba Valley, bringing about 27% of the year's snowfall at mid-mountain, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Hakuba Valley?
Of the last ten winters in Hakuba Valley, 2021/22 was the snowiest, about 21% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2022/23, about 15% below average.
How cold does Hakuba Valley get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Hakuba Valley at mid-mountain, with average daily lows of −10 °C (14 °F) and highs of −3 °C (27 °F).
How high is Hakuba Valley?
The village or lowest lift at Hakuba Valley is at 740 m (2,400 ft) and the top lift is at 1,831 m (6,000 ft), a vertical drop of 1,091 m (3,600 ft).
When does the ski season start in Hakuba Valley?
The lifts at Hakuba Valley usually open in late November and close in early May. Exact dates change each year with the snow, so check the resort's own website before you book.
Snow forecasts near Hakuba Valley
Compare Hakuba Valley for snow
Facts checked 18 September 2026. Sources: Hakuba Valley, Hakuba Valley snow resort info, Wikipedia (Hakuba Happoone), Skiresort.info (Happo-One)