Furano City, Hokkaido, Japan, Developing a New Business to Quantify Powder Snow Furano City, Hokkaido, Japan, Completes Update of "Powderyness Prediction ～Furano City, Hokkaido, Japan, has updated its "Powder Snow Prediction" system, which can now predict the degree of fluffiness with higher accuracy.

2024.02.02 11:00

北海道富良野市

Furano City, Hokkaido (Mayor: Taketoshi Kita), which is developing a project to scientifically verify powder snow (furano bonchi powder project), has started "fluffy smoothness prediction" in December 2023 to quantify snow quality.

The system has now been changed to enable more accurate forecasts.

Detailed URL of "furano bonchi powder business": https://bonchipowder.com/

furano bonchi powder business" Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonchipowder/

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Furano bonchi powder project - Deepening fusion of science and culture

Furano City, Hokkaido, Japan, has been working on a pioneering project to quantify powder snow, focusing on the unique "soft and silky" quality of snow produced by the city's unique inland climate. The project aims to scientifically understand and quantify the unique qualities of Furano's snow.

Definition of Powder Snow and New Discoveries

The silky, powdery, light snow commonly referred to as "powder snow" is not defined as an academic term. The encyclopedia defines "powder snow" as soft snow with low moisture content, but there are actually 121 classifications of snow crystals, and the furano bonchi powder project hypothesizes that a specific category of snow crystals is considered "powder snow. Based on this hypothesis, the furano bonchi powder project has developed a new index of "fluffy smoothness" based on snowfall and precipitation data.

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Update of the "fluffy-salty degree prediction" (Japanese only)

On January 29, 2024, the forecasting system was updated to enable highly accurate forecasts by utilizing data provided by the Japan Weather Association and detailed data near ski resort summits. With this system change, it is now possible to predict "fluffy smoothness" up to 5 days later with a high degree of accuracy, allowing skiers and snowboarders to know in advance the condition of Furano's snow. The project team is continuously verifying the field survey and forecast data, and plans to further improve the accuracy. It is hoped that this will lead to a better scientific understanding of Furano's snow and provide more useful information for ski enthusiasts.

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■The Uniqueness of Furano's Snow Quality

Compared to other major ski resorts in Hokkaido, the Furano region has the characteristic of light, dry snow. In addition, the low temperatures brought about by the terrain make it difficult for the snow to consolidate after accumulation. These characteristics indicate that Furano's snow meets the ideal conditions for powder snow. The project team calculated the "fluffy smoothness" based on these characteristics, and the results are available to the public.

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■Furano's Attractiveness Spreading to the World

The furano bonchi powder project is a new means of communicating the special charm of Furano's snow to ski enthusiasts around the world. The unique skiing experience provided by Furano's snow continues to attract many visitors, and these scientific efforts are intended to make that attraction even more tangible. The quantified "fluffiness" has the potential to become a valuable source of information for visiting skiers and snowboarders on the condition of Furano's snow in advance.

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■Associate Professor Tatsuo Shirakawa, Kitami Institute of Technology, offers his expert perspective.

The furano bonchi powder project being promoted by Furano City in Hokkaido is focused on the scientific understanding and dissemination of "fluffy" snow conditions that are unparalleled in the world. The project is supported by the expertise of Associate Professor Shirakawa.

Associate Professor Shirakawa has been involved in snow quality research in Hokkaido for more than 10 years, during which time he has confirmed that Furano's snow meets the ideal conditions for powder snow. Under his guidance, the project team developed a new index called "fluffy smoothness" to quantitatively describe Furano's unique snow quality. Through this initiative, ski enthusiasts can better understand and enjoy the quality of Furano's snow.

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Associate Professor Shirakawa, Kitami Institute of Technology

Perspective of Mr. Yuji Iga, General Manager, New Furano Prince Hotel

General Manager Iga has a deep attachment to the Furano ski resort environment and services. According to him, "bonchi powder" is an important step in informing the world about Furano's snow characteristics, and the ski area's varied courses and convenient location provide an excellent experience for all visitors. General Manager Iga hopes that Furano will become the mountain resort of choice for people from all over the world!

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General Manager Iga, New Furano Prince Hotel

Photographer Kei Sato's Point of View

Mr. Sato plays an important role in spreading the word about the quality of Furano's snow and its beauty. His photographs capture the special charm of Furano's snow and provide a means of communicating its beauty to people around the world. According to Sato, Furano's snow is characterized by its silky and light texture, which provides ideal conditions for skiers and snowboarders. He is passionate about continuing to show the world what Furano has to offer.

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Photographer Kei Sato

■Future Developments

Today, many skiers and snowboarders, both domestic and international, visit Furano. It would be great if many people see the "fluffy smoothness prediction" and choose to enjoy snow activities in Furano.

The project team is concerned about the impact of global warming on powder snow. Therefore, we are conducting a survey to determine what kind of weather conditions produce the kind of powder snow that skiers prefer.

The content of the survey is to ask skiers to respond to the level of powder satisfaction on the day they use Furano Ski Resort, and the survey will be conducted throughout the season. Please fill out the survey when you use Furano Ski Resort.

□Questionnaire form https://forms.office.com/r/BxKA3KWr8s

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Furano Bonchi Powder Festival" will be held on February 3 (Sat.) and 4 (Sun.). You can't take your eyes off Furano in winter with the predicted soft and silky bonchi powder!