Start with overnight snowfall and wind direction. The headline number only helps once you know whether northwest flow off the Sea of Japan is the pattern to watch. With a 570 to 1180 metre elevation band and 610 metres of vertical, the trees and upper storm laps hold soft snow well after the open faces are worked. A seasonal baseline around 20 metres means the headline numbers can be real storm signals rather than background noise. The swing variable is wind: light flow lets the trees refill, while a hard blast strips the exposed entrances. If gates are part of the day, treat wind and visibility as decision-making numbers, not small print. Chase it when 15 to 25 cm lands overnight with light to moderate wind; if gusts climb, make it a sheltered-tree day.
See which resorts in Hokkaido are getting the best 24 hour totals and the next two days of snow.
