Start with the upper-mountain wind and cloud line. The headline number only helps once you know whether Sea of Japan storm flow is the pattern to watch. With a 731 to 1855 metre elevation band and 1124 metres of vertical, the trees and upper storm laps hold soft snow well after the open faces are worked. A seasonal baseline around 13 metres means moderate-looking totals can still refresh the main lines quickly. The swing variable is whether the upper lift can run with enough visibility to make the top worth using. With patrol boundaries in play, focus on how the inbounds snow will hold through the first half of the day. 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 Niigata are getting the best 24 hour totals and the next two days of snow.
