I suppose it’s better to be trapped in a gondola during a gale than on a chairlift in one. If this occurrence aligns with crotchal-area-deep powder, that doesn’t hurt either.
Japan has been stormy this January. Lets be honest, it’s stormy every January. It’s clockwork. Storms just don’t matter here. A frigid NW wind comes over of Siberia, picks up moisture off the warm Sea of Japan, and collides with the 10,000-foot Japanese Alps that happen to be right on the beach. That combination adds up to snow most everyday of January and February.
…A divine wind you might say?
The above video is from Hakuba, Japan on January 25th, 2013.