Read the freezing level before the snowfall total. The headline number only helps once you know whether Sea of Japan storm flow is the pattern to watch. With a 350 to 1000 metre elevation band and 650 metres of vertical, the trees and upper storm laps hold soft snow well after the open faces are worked. A seasonal baseline around 10 metres means moderate-looking totals can still refresh the main lines quickly. The swing variable is whether the snow line stays below the 350 metre base through the storm. With patrol boundaries in play, focus on how the inbounds snow will hold through the first half of the day. Chase it when 10 to 20 cm lands cold to the base; skip it when the forecast shows a warm lower mountain.
See which resorts in Niigata are getting the best 24 hour totals and the next two days of snow.
