Visit Yamadera before Zao

I will go skiing at Zao. I will take shinkansen from Echigo yuzawa via Omiya to Yamagata station on Jan 30. I want to visit Yamadera before continuing to Zao onsen. It is possible or it takes too long time ?

It is feasible if you travel the following, faster route: Yuzawa - Omiya - Sendai - Yamadera - Yamagata - Zao

It will take half a day, though. Don't expect to be left with a lot of (or any) time for skiing at the end of the day.

How difficult is the climb to Yamadera: 1000 steps?!
Also, how difficult/dangerous might it be in Mid-January..possible snow?

For a same day visit to Yama-dera and Zao there was a similar discussion on another post:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+79436

Weather statistic of Yamagata shows heavy snow during last week:
http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/daily_s1.php?prec_no=35&...

For last year, there was lots of snow mid Jan but interestingly no snow in the latter half of the month:
http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/daily_s1.php?prec_no=35&...

Many thanks, again.

Yamadera is not a particularly difficult climb - there are quite a lot of steps but even with low fitness levels it would be quite doable - for someone with weak knees it may be tough going.
Last year when I was there, it snowed - not heavily, but even if there had been quite a bit more snow, I don't think it would have made climbing dangerous. I don't recall the steps being especially narrow or slippery.
http://ponkanchan.blogspot.com/2010/03/yamadera.html

I really want to go back in the autumn.

Thanks girltokyo: perfect info: just what I needed to know: agree: will definitely need to go in Autumn as well, but will be there in 12 months.....exactly!!