Features
El Niño Winters and Japow: 21 Seasons of JMA Snowfall Data
The latest outlook is kept up to date on Japan snow forecast, winter 2026-2027, revised with each JMA release.
In its October El Niño outlook update, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said El Niño is expected to last into winter. So did past El Niño winters actually have fewer JAPOW days, meaning days with 15 cm or more of snowfall? We compared 21 seasons (November to April, 2005-06 to 2025-26), counting days from daily snowfall recorded by JMA's AMeDAS automated weather stations. JAPOW means 15 cm or more in a day; Do-POW ("do" is a Japanese intensifier, roughly "super") means 50 cm or more in a day. This is a tally of past observations, not a prediction of how many days this season will bring. [1][2]
Nationwide, El Niño winters had the lowest number
Figures are days per station, averaged across stations nationwide. There are 5 El Niño winters, 6 La Niña winters and 10 neutral winters (neither) in the period.
Winter type | Seasons | JAPOW days | Do-POW days |
|---|---|---|---|
El Niño winters | 5 | 9.1 | 0.3 |
La Niña winters | 6 | 10.5 | 0.3 |
Neutral winters | 10 | 10.3 | 0.2 |
The El Niño winters were 2009-10, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19 and 2023-24. Winters were classified using the table of El Niño and La Niña episode periods published by JMA, using winters that include December to February. [1][2]
By region, El Niño winters were also the lowest
In every region in the table below, the El Niño figure was lower than the other two categories. In some regions, such as Nagano/Hakuba and Gunma/Kanto/Fuji, the three figures are almost the same.
Region | El Niño winters | La Niña winters | Neutral winters |
|---|---|---|---|
Hokkaido | 8.3 | 8.6 | 9.0 |
Tohoku | 11.0 | 13.6 | 13.1 |
Niigata / Myoko | 14.8 | 17.6 | 16.8 |
Nagano / Hakuba | 10.0 | 10.3 | 10.2 |
Gunma / Kanto / Fuji | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.9 |
Hokuriku / Chubu | 7.4 | 9.8 | 8.3 |
Kansai / western Japan | 5.3 | 7.9 | 6.9 |
With only five El Niño winters, a single unusually good or bad season can shift the averages noticeably, so treat the numbers with caution. [1][2]
Resorts with the most JAPOW days in El Niño winters
Ranked by the average for El Niño winters only, the top spots went to stations in Tohoku, northern Japan and Niigata's heavy-snow areas.
Rank | Resort | JAPOW days (El Niño winter average) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 34.0 | |
2 | 31.0 | |
3 | 28.6 | |
4 (tie) | 27.2 |
These figures come from the AMeDAS station at the base of each resort, so they do not match snow depth at the summit. For the resort ranking based on the 20-year average, see the ranking of resorts with the most powder days (20 years). [1]
Summary
In the past record, El Niño winters had the lowest average number of JAPOW days of the three categories, both nationwide and in every region. The size of the gap varies by region, though. For a more detailed comparison by El Niño and La Niña category, see the El Niño vs La Niña winter comparison page. For JMA's winter outlook, see Japan snow forecast, winter 2026-2027.
Source: JMA AMeDAS / compiled by Japow Now!
Sources
Prepared with AI assistance from public sources. Always check each resort's official website for the latest information.