Tohoku snow report
Early storm favours Aomori, then a long quiet spell
Snow this weekWeek of 25 Oct 2026Forecast data as of 27 Oct 08:03 UTC
Next snow
Wed 28 Oct
First day with measurable snow
Best snow day
Wed 28 Oct
Up to 22 cm at Hakkoda
Most snow, 14 days
Hakkoda
49 cm forecast in total
Coldest feels like
-18°C
Hakkoda, Mon 9 Nov
By SnowStash· Updated 27 Oct 2026
A storm on Tuesday 27 Oct and Wednesday 28 Oct is the main event, favouring Aomori and Iwate, with Hakkoda best placed at 22 cm. Gusts of 108 km/h on Wednesday 28 Oct are the biggest impact. A long quiet spell follows, with a brief light fall on Wednesday 4 Nov and a colder, snowier return on Sunday 8 Nov and Monday 9 Nov. Confidence is high for the storm and low for the final days.
Plan around it
When
Wednesday 28 Oct is the best snow day, with 22 cm at Hakkoda. Confidence is high.
Where
Aomori, with Hakkoda on 49 cm over 14 days, then Iwate, with Appi Kogen on 35 cm.
Watch for
Gusts of 108 km/h on Wednesday 28 Oct may close lifts; feels like -18°C at Hakkoda on 9 Nov.
The next 14 days
Average day by day
Pick snow, temperature, freezing level or wind. The bar above the days jumps to each part of the story below.
Swipe sideways for all 14 days. Tap a day for the detail.
Storm: Tue 27 Oct - Wed 28 Oct
Storm favours Aomori and Iwate
Aomori and Iwate take the best of this storm, which starts on Tuesday 27 Oct and peaks on Wednesday 28 Oct. Hakkoda in Aomori leads with 22 cm. Appi Kogen in Iwate follows with 15 cm, and Geto Kogen in Akita gets 7.6 cm.
The regional average is only 5.2 cm, so location matters. Zao and the Bandai and Fukushima area largely miss out. The freezing level swings between 1,030 m and 3,620 m, with around 18 hours of precipitation. Rain could mix in at resorts whose listed elevation is below the freezing level, such as Inawashiro, Urabandai and Nekoma.
The wind is westerly, with gusts up to 108 km/h on Wednesday 28 Oct. Lifts may close and visibility is likely to be poor. It feels like -10°C at Hakkoda.
Best-placed resort
Across all resorts0 to 22 cm
White marker: regional average, 5.2 cm
0
Tue
27
5.2
Wed
28
Regional average by day (cm). The gold bar is the peak day.
Biggest totals
- Hakkoda22 cm
- Appi Kogen15 cm
- Geto Kogen7.6 cm
Typical high / low
7° / 1°C
Feels like -10° at Hakkoda
Strongest gusts
108 km/h
Lift closures likelyPoor visibility likely
Where it favours
Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Aomori and Iwate.
- Aomori14 cm
- Iwate11 cm
- Akita5.5 cm
- Zao1.5 cm
- Bandai and Fukushima0.3 cm
Snow or rain? Where the freezing level sits
Every resort at its listed elevation. Pick a storm day to see which stay above the freezing level.
Wed 28 Oct: the freezing level sits between 1,030 and 1,570 m (about 1,150 m on average). 0 of 12 resorts sit above it, 9 inside it, 3 below it.
Above the freezing level: snow is the likely outcomeInside the band: rain or a mix is possible at timesBelow the band: warmer airAverage freezing level
Bars rise to each resort's listed elevation. The band is the lowest to highest freezing level across resorts that day, so a resort inside it can see snow at some hours and rain at others. A guide, not a per-resort forecast.
Quiet: Thu 29 Oct - Tue 3 NovModerate confidence
Dry days with a brisk westerly
From Thursday 29 Oct to Tuesday 3 Nov, it should stay largely dry, with a regional average of just 0.2 cm. Daytime highs around 7°C and lows near 0°C mean it will feel cool rather than bitter. The freezing level ranges from 1,090 m to 3,190 m.
The westerly wind should stay lively, with gusts up to 91 km/h. Lifts may close on the windiest days, so keep an eye on conditions if you are planning a visit.
Snow
Dry
0.2 cm average across the region
Typical high / low
7° / 0°C
Freezing level
1,090-3,190 m
Height where the air hits 0°C
Strongest gusts
91 km/h
Lift closures likely
Light snow: Wed 4 NovModerate confidence
A brief fall for Iwate
Wednesday 4 Nov brings a short, light fall that should favour Iwate and Aomori. Appi Kogen and Shizukuishi, both in Iwate, should see 8.4 cm and 7.6 cm. Hakkoda in Aomori could pick up 6.7 cm. Akita, Zao and the Bandai and Fukushima area should miss out, and the regional average is only 1.9 cm.
The freezing level is close to the valley floor, from 450 m to 1,260 m, so snow could fall at low elevations. Rain could still mix in at Inawashiro, Urabandai and Nekoma. Westerly gusts up to 66 km/h could put lifts on hold, and visibility is likely to be poor.
Who gets the most
Total snow for this spell. The regional average is 1.9 cm, so where you ski matters.
- Appi Kogen8.4 cm
- Shizukuishi7.6 cm
- Hakkoda6.7 cm
Typical high / low
4° / -3°C
Strongest gusts
66 km/h
Lift holds possiblePoor visibility likely
Where it favours
Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Iwate and Aomori.
- Iwate8 cm
- Aomori3.4 cm
- Akita0.3 cm
- Zao0 cm
- Bandai and Fukushima0 cm
Quiet: Thu 5 Nov - Sat 7 NovLow confidence
Colder and mostly dry
From Thursday 5 Nov to Saturday 7 Nov, conditions may turn colder and mostly dry, though confidence is low. It could feel like -11°C at Hakkoda. Highs near 9°C and lows around -1°C are likely, with the freezing level close to the valley floor.
Gusts may reach 56 km/h. Rain may mix in at Aomori Spring and Zao Onsen.
Snow
Dry
0.1 cm average across the region
Typical high / low
9° / -1°C
Feels like -11° at Hakkoda
Freezing level
490-2,420 m
Height where the air hits 0°C
Strongest gusts
56 km/h
Light snow: Sun 8 Nov - Mon 9 NovLow confidence
Colder snow returns to Aomori
Aomori could do best from Sunday 8 Nov, peaking on Monday 9 Nov. Aomori Spring may see 19 cm and Hakkoda 17 cm, while Appi Kogen in Iwate could get 10 cm. Akita, Zao and the Bandai and Fukushima area may miss out. The regional average of 4.7 cm hides a wide spread.
Around 30 hours of precipitation are possible, and the freezing level could sit between 1,750 m and 2,530 m. Rain may mix in at resorts whose listed elevation is below the freezing level, such as Inawashiro, Nekoma and Shizukuishi.
North-westerly wind could bring gusts up to 95 km/h, so lifts may close and visibility could be poor. It may feel like -18°C at Hakkoda, so watch this one as the date approaches.
Who gets the most
Total snow for this spell. The regional average is 4.7 cm, so where you ski matters.
- Aomori Spring19 cm
- Hakkoda17 cm
- Appi Kogen10 cm
Typical high / low
8° / -3°C
Feels like -18° at Hakkoda
Strongest gusts
95 km/h
Lift closures likelyPoor visibility likely
Where it favours
Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Aomori and Iwate.
- Aomori18 cm
- Iwate7.3 cm
- Akita0.8 cm
- Bandai and Fukushima0.6 cm
- Zao0.4 cm
The 14-day picture
Most snow, next 14 days
Total forecast snow across the whole fortnight. Later days are less certain, so treat the order as a guide.
Biggest totals
Forecast snow, all 14 days added together.
- Hakkoda49 cm
- Appi Kogen35 cm
- Aomori Spring24 cm
- Shizukuishi18 cm
- Geto Kogen8.1 cm
Before you go
Resort status
No resorts are in season today, and 8 are pre-season. None are scheduled to open in the next 14 days, and the next opening after that is Grandeco, scheduled to open on 21 Nov. "In season" reflects each resort's scheduled calendar, not a live lift report.
Scheduled openings
No resorts are in season yet. Dates are from each resort's season calendar, not a live lift report.
- Next after thatGrandeco21 Nov
Reading the forecast
Snowfall and freezing levels are forecast at upper-mountain points for each resort, so real totals can differ where terrain lifts or shelters the weather. Treat figures as a guide to timing and scale, and check each resort's own page before you travel.
How this report is made
SnowStash calculates every figure from its own forecast data. The wording is drafted with AI from those figures and checked before publishing.