Track Storms in Japan with New OpenSnow Feature

Featured Image: Gabe Rovick

OpenSnow is expanding its reach and helping skiers navigate storms in Japan more efficiently. With a historic winter sending boatloads of snow and cold arctic air to the island nation, there's never been a better time to have the knowledge of expert meteorologists in your pocket.

Japan is by all accounts the powder skiing capital of the world. This is no hot take. Over the last few weeks, that reputation has been exceptionally true, and unless you've been under a rock or out of service for a while, you've probably been drooling over the plethora of deep and deeper clips pouring out of Japan. Totals are becoming astronomical, even dangerous in some city regions, with five meters (15 feet) of snow stacking up in a matter of days.

Whether you're in Japan looking for a safe way to stay ahead of the storms or you're planning out a proper ski mission overseas, OpenSnow's latest addition can help. The trusted forecasting service recently introduced its Daily Forecast in Japan, dividing forecasts into areas across both the Japanese Alps, Honshu and Hokkaido.

And with turns like those in the clip below on the line, you'll want to stay prepared. You can use the same tools you're used to in North America on the other side of the globe.

Leading this new forecasting operation is OpenSnow meteorologist Luke Stone. Stone, who earned his M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Utah, has been a staple at the company for years, and we've leaned on him many times to help us track storms across North America. Now he's focusing on Japan to help get you the best info available.

Stone will be paying attention to many areas of the country, including central and northern Honshu, which holds regions of the Japanese Alps, and the northern island of Hokkaido. He'll also be discussing why some storms favor certain regions over others, specific weather phenomena that produce major snowfall accumulations in specific areas, and when travel times are best. He lived in Japan previously and is now back delivering boots on the ground forecasting.

"Already, the mountains in Japan have received impressive snowfall from the storm cycles that have moved through over the past couple of weeks," Stone said in late January, 2026. "We have entered the heart of the season for Japan, where the base depths are getting deeper, and the storm cycles tend to ramp up, so having a specific, detailed forecast offers the extra info people planning a trip to Japan need to get the most out of it."

Along with the Daily Forecast, OpenSnow is also bringing it's proprietarty PEAKS AI forecasting model and 15-day forecasts to Japan. Don't clutch your crystals and try to luck out on your pow day, trust the experts!