Mt. Asama First Snow on Nov 10, Mt. Nantai Nov 9 in Kanto

At 8:00 on November 10, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced this season's first snow cover (hatsu-kanyuki) on Mt. Asama (2,568 m), on the Gunma–Nagano border. Snow near the summit is analyzed at 1 cm or more but less than 5 cm. The day before, on November 9, first snow was recorded on Mt. Nantai in Tochigi Prefecture. Winter is arriving in the mountains around the Kanto region. ^[4][5]

Recorded by "analyzed snow depth" from this season

JMA's page of first-snow records lists November 9, 2026 as the first-snow date for Mt. Nantai. From this season, JMA no longer relies on weather station staff looking at the mountain. First snow is now judged from "analyzed snow depth," which is based on AMeDAS, weather radar, the Himawari satellite and other data. This method works even on days when cloud hides the summit, and at night. For that reason, the results cannot be compared directly with the visual records of previous years. ^[1][4]

Comparison with the average: for reference only

Here is how this season compares with JMA's past (visual) records. Because the judging method has changed, treat these figures as a rough guide only.

• Mt. Nantai: First snow this season came on November 9. That is 5 days later than the average date (November 4), and the 21st latest in the records since 1932 (92 years).
• Mt. Asama: First snow this season came on November 10. That is 10 days later than the average date (October 31), and the 24th latest in the records since 1927 (100 years).

On both mountains, the latest first snow on record came in late November: November 28, 1975 for Mt. Nantai, and November 30, 1980 for Mt. Asama. ^[2][3]

Check the mountain on live cams

You can watch Mt. Asama on the mountain live cams page. There are two cameras, one on the Karuizawa town side and one on the Tomi city side. The white on the summit is easiest to see on a morning when the weather has cleared.

For this season's ski resort opening status, see our opening information page.

Sources

1. JMA | Records of first snow cover
2. JMA | Past first snow cover dates (Mt. Nantai)
3. JMA | Past first snow cover dates (Mt. Asama)
4. Signs of winter in Kanto too: first snow on Mt. Asama (Weathernews)
5. First snow on Mt. Asama (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun Digital)

Prepared with AI assistance from public sources. Always check each resort's official website for the latest information.