Snow Park Yeti resort on Mt Fuji is usually the first resort in Japan to open each winter, typically spinning lifts by mid-October, but while the resort managed to open this week on October 25, it was only thanks to technology, not nature.
While Colorado's mountains have been seeing above average snowfall so far, for the first time in recorded history, Mt Fuji has no snow on November 1. Since records began 130 years ago, Japan's highest peak at 12,388 feet above sea level usually has at least a sprinkling of snow in October. This year, however, the BBC reports that unusually warm weather has meant not a single flake has been reported so far.
This summer was one of the hottest on record in Japan, with temperatures from June to August 3.1F (1.76C) higher than average and the warm weather continuing through September. Though the temperatures are starting to cool off, Snow Park Yeti was forced to crank up the snowmaking machines to get their lifts spinning.
Though it's likely that Japan's skiers will have a long wait for an actual powder day such as the country's slopes are known for, the scant conditions don't seem to have dampened their spirits – a video posted to Instagram by Snow Park Yeti resort reveals hundreds of high-spirited skiers heading up to catch first chair in costume.
Snow Park Yeti began operating in 1971 and has three lifts and a top elevation of 4,265 feet. It is one of two resorts on Mt Fuji – the other is Fujiten which doesn't typically open till December so it might see some natural snow for opening day.
