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Shiga Kogen ski resort
Ikon PassView resorts
Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

📷 Shiga Kogen

Asia

Shiga Kogen

Closed for the season

Season ended May 6, 2026

Conditions data updated Sat, Aug 29, 12:03 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

8

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 29, 12:03 PM•Weather at base: 1340m

Overview

Shiga Kogen is a ski resort in Asia, Japan, currently closed for the season (Season ended May 6, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-29 12:03 UTC.

Resort Guide

Shiga Kogen is a large ski resort located in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan, renowned for its expansive interconnected ski area comprising 18 ski fields and over 80 kilometers of trails. The resort is situated within the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, offering a scenic alpine environment and reliable powder snow throughout the season. Shiga Kogen is known for its variety of terrain suitable for all levels, extensive lift network, and direct access to hot springs and traditional Japanese accommodations, making it a distinctive destination for both skiing and cultural experiences.

Resort Info

Summit2307m
Base1340m
Vertical967m
Lifts48
Runs84
Skiable Area1000 acres
Average snowfall472 inches / 1200 cm
CountryJapan
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →View Trail Map →

Season dates

Season endedMay 6, 2026
Projected openingDecember 6, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

Ski passes

Ikon Pass

Ikon Pass

View resorts →

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

Top Après Ski

The Japan Ski Resort Bar – Located in the heart of Shiga Kogen, this cozy and welcoming bar is renowned for its extensive selection of Japanese whiskies, craft beers, and warm après-ski ambiance, making it a favorite gathering spot for skiers to unwind and socialize after a day on the slopes.

Snow Summary

2307mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 29, 2026 at 12:03 PM

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24h
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Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
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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, 12:03 PM UTC

Base

1340m

Temp

16.8°C

Wind

2km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0cm

Mid-Mountain

1824m

Temp

--°C

Wind

2km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0cm

Summit

2307m

Temp

10.5°C

Wind

2km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Shiga Kogen El Niño rank & forecast

Shiga Kogen ranks #286 of 488 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.

#286 of 488Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

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

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Shiga Kogen averaged -5% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Not a warning — a scheduling note. El Niño winters here tend to hit the season's edges hardest — Japan's big snow window runs mid-December to mid-February, and the January–February core signal is closer to neutral. Aim the mid-winter core (January to mid-February) for winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -33%, '23-24 +30%.

'97-98 −13%'15-16 −33%'23-24 +30%

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

Shiga Kogen Webcams

All Webcams

Shiga Kogen Tourism Association / Prince Snow Resorts

Shiga Kogen Tourism Association / Prince Snow Resorts

Shiga Kogen Tourism Association / Prince Snow Resorts

Shiga Kogen Tourism Association / Prince Snow Resorts

4 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 Shiga Kogen (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, 12:03 PM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
12 / 1044.5mm
Sun, Aug 30
17 / 1125.5mm
Mon, Aug 31
17 / 105.4mm
Tue, Sep 1
18 / 103mm
Wed, Sep 2
17 / 102.4mm
Thu, Sep 3
17 / 106.8mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000
Precip (mm)17.91511.6203.22.30.63.41.40.61.90.50.61.70.10.42.83.6
Temp (°C)111110121612141611141711141711141511
Wind (km/h)332371334545352563
Gusts (km/h)242311152713172416211919222418162621

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (2307m)

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

🌧️

11.7°

9.7°

4 km/h

Sun

30

🌦️

16.8°

10.5°

8 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

17.1°

9.7°

9 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

17.5°

10.3°

9 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

17.4°

9.8°

6 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

16.6°

10.2°

8 km/h

Fri

4

🌧️

12.2°

7.6°

8 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

12°

6.6°

9 km/h

Sun

6

🌧️

11.8°

6.3°

9 km/h

Mon

7

🌧️

9.3°

6.4°

10 km/h

Summit elevation (2307m) • 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, 12:03 PM UTC

0cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

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vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 363cm full-season avg

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vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 326cm full-season avg

363cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~304.9 cm. That's 16% below the 5-year average (363 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 6% below the 30-year average (326 cm).

Shiga Kogen Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 338cm with an average of 112 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
November18cm10 days2cm8cm5.6cm
December68.6cm23 days18cm42cm12cm
January94.3cm27 days66cm91cm13.3cm
February71.9cm22 days95cm110cm12.2cm
March62.1cm20 days96cm112cm13.5cm
April19.4cm8 days50cm87cm7.6cm
May1.9cm1 days3cm19cm2.9cm

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 6, 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 Shiga Kogen, ERA5 season snowfall median was 345 cm (136 in), about 2% 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

345 cm

10 El Niño winters · 2% above median

All-season median

339 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10345 cm302 cm – 407 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12340 cm296 cm – 354 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8330 cm255 cm – 382 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 Shiga Kogen

Where is Shiga Kogen?
Shiga Kogen is a ski resort in Japan.
How high is Shiga Kogen?
Shiga Kogen runs from a base elevation of 1,340 m (4,396 ft) to a summit of 2,307 m (7,569 ft), giving a vertical drop of 967 m (3,173 ft).
How big is Shiga Kogen?
Shiga Kogen has 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of skiable terrain, 84 marked runs and 48 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Shiga Kogen?
Shiga Kogen is on the Ikon 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 Shiga Kogen?
Shiga Kogen 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 Shiga Kogen get in a typical season?
Shiga Kogen averages 472 inches / 1200 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Shiga Kogen in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal Rank: #286 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier D · strong-event signal -5% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Shiga Kogen averaged -5% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Not a warning — a scheduling note. El Niño winters here tend to hit the season's edges hardest — Japan's big snow window runs mid-December to mid-February, and the January–February core signal is closer to neutral. Aim the mid-winter core (January to mid-February) for winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -33%, '23-24 +30%.