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Hakuba ski resort

Part of Hakuba · 11 ski areas

Happo-One
View all Hakuba conditions →
Epic PassView resorts
Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

📷 Hakuba

Asia

Hakuba

Closed for the season

Season ended May 6, 2026

Conditions data updated Sat, Aug 29, 12:00 PM UTC · informational only

Closed for the season — closed May 6

Weather data is still collected for informational purposes.

Last Snowfall

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Past 24 Hours

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Past 48 Hours

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Past 10 Days

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14-Day Forecast

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Snow Depth

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🎿

Powder Days

3

2026–27 season

☀️

Bluebird Days

1

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 29, 12:00 PM•Weather at base: 759m

Overview

Hakuba is a ski resort in Asia, Japan, currently closed for the season (Season ended May 6, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-29 12:00 UTC.

Resort Guide

Hakuba is a renowned ski destination located in the Japanese Alps of Nagano Prefecture, offering access to multiple interconnected resorts with varied terrain suitable for all levels. The area is known for its abundant snowfall, scenic alpine views, and a blend of traditional Japanese culture with modern amenities. Visitors can enjoy extensive ski and snowboard runs, onsen hot springs, and a vibrant après-ski scene, making Hakuba a standout choice for both international and domestic travelers seeking a comprehensive winter experience.

Resort Info

Summit1831m
Base759m
Vertical1072m
Lifts135
Runs147
Skiable Area2325 acres
Average snowfall258 inches / 655 cm
CountryJapan
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →

Season dates

Season endedMay 6, 2026
Projected openingDecember 4, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

Ski passes

Epic Pass

Epic Pass

View resorts →

Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.

Top Après Ski

The Rabbit Hole – A popular après-ski bar in Hakuba, The Rabbit Hole is renowned for its relaxed vibe, gourmet burgers, craft beers, and live music, making it a favorite gathering spot for skiers and snowboarders to unwind after a day on the slopes.

Snow Summary

1831mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM

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24h
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Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
0
Prev10d
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Now29
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S30
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M31
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T1
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W2
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T3
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F4
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

Japanese Alps region

Current Conditions

Reported Sat, Aug 29, 12:00 PM UTC

Base

759m

Temp

22.1°C

Wind

4.7km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

Mid-Mountain

1295m

Temp

18.7°C

Wind

4.7km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

Summit

1831m

Temp

15.2°C

Wind

4.7km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Hakuba El Niño rank & forecast

Hakuba ranks Under review SnowSure resorts — Tier D, −5% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar: Often a bit lighter early (−3% to −8% vs normal). History favors waiting for peak-depth months (often Feb–Mar) rather than skipping the resort.

Under reviewTier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

Strong-event signal: −5% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

This resort carries no separate rank: its 30-year record is identical to happo-one, which is the ranked entry for this measurement. At ~31km resolution the reanalysis cannot resolve them as different mountains, so publishing both would be publishing one number twice.

'97-98 −24%'15-16 −33%'23-24 +42%

Signal = average snowfall in the three strongest El Niño winters since 1996 ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24) vs this resort's own 30-year ERA5 baseline. n=3 — a lean, not a law. Updated monthly against measured snowfall Dec–Mar.

Full El Niño report →

Live Conditions

Hakuba Webcams

All Webcams

Hakuba Happo-one

Hakuba Happo-one

Hakuba Happo-one

Hakuba Happo-one

Hakuba Happo-one

Hakuba Happo-one / Skiday

Hakuba Happo-one / Skiday

Hakuba Happo-one / Skiday

8 webcams • Click to expand

Local Reports

0 reports
SnowSure™ Forecast Range

Daily Snowfall Forecast by Model

Black line = verified SnowSure™ blend (not a simple average). Weights update weekly from measured snowfall at SNOTEL stations and resort reports.

SnowSure™ blend — verified model weighting

The black line is not a simple average. For Hakuba (japan), we combine seven global weather models using weights learned from daily forecast verification — comparing each model's prediction to measured snowfall (SNOTEL, resort reports, ERA5).

  • 1.Horizon buckets: days 1–3, 4–7, and 8–14 each get separate weights — short-range skill differs from long-range.
  • 2.Regional calibration: weights come from verified error in this geography (Rockies, Alps, Japan, etc.), recalculated weekly.
  • 3.Ground truth only: we never grade a forecast against another model — only against measured snow.

Building verification history for this resort.

How we verify forecasts →

Hourly Forecast Detail

AM / PM / Night breakdown with wind and freezing level

NWP models refresh up to 4× daily · Last synced Aug 29, 12:00 PM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
16 / 1395.3mm
Sun, Aug 30
18 / 1489.7mm
Mon, Aug 31
20 / 134.2mm
Tue, Sep 1
21 / 133.6mm
Wed, Sep 2
21 / 121.5mm
Thu, Sep 3
19 / 1226.6mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000
Precip (mm)29.439.126.853.58.527.70.62.90.71.71.70.20.21.20.13.410.312.9
Temp (°C)141614161815171914172015172014161713
Wind (km/h)533453323323233342
Gusts (km/h)516238454536222824272423232423273527

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (1831m)

ECMWF
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GFS
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GEM
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JMA
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ICON
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Météo-Fr
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SnowSure™
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10-Day Forecast

Today

29

🌧️

16°

13.2°

6 km/h

Sun

30

🌦️

18°

14.1°

5 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

20.3°

13°

5 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

20.5°

13.1°

5 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

21°

12.1°

4 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

18.8°

12.3°

6 km/h

Fri

4

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15.1°

10.7°

5 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

14°

9.9°

7 km/h

Sun

6

🌧️

14.4°

9°

8 km/h

Mon

7

🌧️

13.1°

9.9°

12 km/h

Summit elevation (1831m) • ECMWF model

Avalanche

No bulletin for this mountain

No official warning service is mapped for this resort’s country yet (v1 covers the United States, Canada and Switzerland). A bulletin may still be published locally.

SnowSure relays the official avalanche bulletin and does not issue avalanche forecasts. Read the full bulletin at the issuer’s link and make your own terrain decisions. Not a substitute for avalanche education, equipment, or local knowledge.

Season vs Historic

Updated Sat, Aug 29, 12:00 PM UTC

0cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

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vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 1099cm full-season avg

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vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 711cm full-season avg

1099cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~912.2 cm. That's 17% below the 5-year average (1099 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 28% above the 30-year average (711 cm).

Hakuba Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 613cm with an average of 123 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 30 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).

Average monthly snowfall history
MonthAvg SnowfallSnowfall DaysAvg Base DepthMax Base DepthBiggest Snowfall
November42.4cm12 days4cm16cm10cm
December145.1cm26 days42cm84cm18.9cm
January170cm28 days117cm152cm20.6cm
February123.1cm23 days160cm182cm19cm
March97.6cm22 days167cm191cm17.4cm
April29.7cm10 days108cm159cm10.2cm
May1.8cm1 days13cm57cm2.7cm

Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.

Season at a Glance

Next season(2026-27)

Opens Dec 4, 2026

Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 10 past El Niño winters at Hakuba, ERA5 season snowfall median was 583 cm (230 in), about 3% above this resort’s long-term median. This is a historical analog from reanalysis — not a prediction of this winter’s storm track.

Prevailing ONI

El Niño

MJJ 2026 · ANOM +1.39°C

Analog season median

583 cm

10 El Niño winters · 3% above median

All-season median

566 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10583 cm474 cm – 688 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12574 cm511 cm – 722 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8559 cm480 cm – 725 cm2025, 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2003

Season snowfall from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (~9 km). ENSO phase from NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index. Relative phase differences are more trustworthy than absolute cm totals. Source: NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index + Open-Meteo ERA5 via SnowSure season archive.

Best Months to Visit

January

Peak Powder

February

Peak Powder

March

Good

December

Good

Note: Based on typical powder season patterns for this region.

Back to All Destinations

Frequently asked questions about Hakuba

Where is Hakuba?
Hakuba is a ski resort in Japan.
How high is Hakuba?
Hakuba runs from a base elevation of 759 m (2,490 ft) to a summit of 1,831 m (6,007 ft), giving a vertical drop of 1,072 m (3,517 ft).
How big is Hakuba?
Hakuba has 2,325 acres (941 hectares) of skiable terrain, 147 marked runs and 135 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Hakuba?
Hakuba is on the Epic Pass. Access terms such as blackout dates and day limits vary by pass tier, so check the pass operator for the current season.
When is ski season at Hakuba?
Hakuba typically operates from December to May. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
How much snow does Hakuba get in a typical season?
Hakuba averages 258 inches / 655 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Hakuba in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal: under review — this station's record has an era discontinuity.. This resort carries no separate rank: its 30-year record is identical to happo-one, which is the ranked entry for this measurement. At ~31km resolution the reanalysis cannot resolve them as different mountains, so publishing both would be publishing one number twice.