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I've seen a few newsletters recently sent out by some Niseko based companies claiming that this season is a bumper one with lots of early snow.

 

I thought I'd have a look at the real story so far.

 

Kutchan is the only place in the area that records accurate snowfall data. In Nov Kutchan had 101cm fall. The average for the past 54 years is 116cm so we were fairly close to average but it was hardly a bumper start to the season.

 

Dec saw only 184cm fall which is well below the average of 320cm. Although surface conditions for most of Dec were pretty good with plenty of powder days and consistently cool temps we didn't get any of the big dumps that usually arrive. In fact in the last 54 years there were only 4 other years with Dec snowfall less than this year.

 

I'm sure the story was the same throughout most of Japan. Still Honshu's season has been saved with massive falls over the last week and Niseko has received some nice falls also although not nearly on the same scale as down south. Here's hoping that January can produce the goods. A couple of the previous years that received less Dec snow than this year then went on to have in excess of 4m in Jan. The average for Jan is 380cm.

 

It should be noted that Kutchan is only at 174m asl and obviously higher up on the mountain they receive much more snow than down in town.

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 Quote:
I've seen a few newsletters recently sent out by some Niseko based companies claiming that this season is a bumper one with lots of early snow. I thought I'd have a look at the real story so far.


Thanks for posting Go Native.

I have not seen any 'Niseko based company newsletters' of late, but as a general comment some of the totally misleading things I read from time to time in some places is distressing. I can't believe some places get away with it.

The "real story" is exactly what we strive to post on our Now reports and we will continue to do so.
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My 2 yen worth.

 

Measurements outside my house at ~300m.

 

15 Nov 07 - 21 Nov 07 : 105cm

22 Nov 07 - 28 Nov 07 : 52cm

29 Nov 07 - 05 Dec 07 : 108cm

06 Dec 07 - 12 Dec 07 : 54cm

13 Dec 07 - 19 Dec 07 : 89cm

20 Dec 07 - 26 Dec 07 : 72cm

27 Dec 07 - 02 Jan 08 : 83cm

 

November 2007 : 177cm

December 2007 : 318cm

 

 

Lost quite a bit of snow after the rain event on Saturday 29 December 2007, but 78cm (up to 7am this morning) has covered the crunch and made for deep turns and over the head blower the past two days.

 

I'd guess that close to 20-25cm fell during the day today.

 

Snow forecast until Friday.

 

As you were.

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Thanks for the info guys.

 

Here in Sapporo we have had a lot less snow then usual. I know things up at Teine have been rater grim still had sasa sticking up at a lot of places. Hopefully this last snow fall helped.

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Interesting reading fellas.

 

In Hakuba, its been warmer than normal, but we've had a lot of snow. Over four meters at town level, though two of that came in just over two days over NY! I've never seen it come down that hard for that sustained a period. Dec 15-21ish was also good for consistent snow, but its been generally warm the rest of the time. I can't recall it hitting minus ten in town.

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"I've seen a few newsletters recently sent out by some Niseko based companies claiming that this season is a bumper one with lots of early snow"

 

Seriously ..what crap..so far its been a lean winter..take a drive around Hokkaido and its yuki tsukunai..yep niseko is getting some snow but measurements mean nothing..when the sassa's buried then the season ridings start..always has been the yard stick..if it aint burued it aint on period. Yep..I lived in niseko for 5 years and left after the circus came to town..still ride there on occaisons but when old jap locals are saying its a good month behind, well things arent right..How many fine days has there been...a bloody lot..

Sea temps are unusally warm around Hokkaido..ask anyone that surfs!!It's pretty much a replay of last winter "worst on record for some parts of Hokkaido..it just seems to be coming later and later..the only respite was 2 years ago when it puked all season..record falls across the country...

Anyway hope the weather settles down in to some decnt winter patterns and pray to huey for some big..big ..dumps

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Same as here, many days are rather mild and we haven't had the sustained snowfall that we are used to. I enjoyed yesterday and the snow was decent, but it's certainly not as much as "usual" and like I said yesterday it felt spring-like in many ways.

 

That Hakuba dump sounded impressive! I want one of them!

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Indo...its crap...trust me!! Yep it'll come good but it's freaky weather. Get a dump then its warm..it hasnt switched on!!

My next door neighbour..75 ojisan reckons he's never so little snow for this time of year in sapporo, he's spewing as he loves his yuki kakki

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We went to Niseko for a weekend in mid-December last month and it pooped snow the whole time for nice pow pow. The two weeks that followed (in Sapporo and Asahikawa), it barely snowed at all. Very different from two years ago when we visited at the same time when everything was already filled in.

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It is refreshing to see some of the hokkaido locals with an objective analysis of the season. Not the best year but better than last, and I'll take anything better than last year's anytime and make the best of it. We lost some depth with the 29th rain + quite a bit of settlement. I was reading on another site that hakuba had a cumul of 450cm now settled to around 160cm. At least now we have enough to hike some routes that were not feasible before. Still another meter would help fill out a lot of stuff grin.gif . Looking at one of Soub's previous posts, it seems sea temps are warm but still cooler than last year. Overall it seems this year will be a transition year from the El Nino period, or at least feels like it. So I do not expect a fantastic season, but at least a reasonnable one.

 

Hokkaido has been a bit unlucky on the last dump, but colder temps in the long run will make up for it (getting snow when Honshu is getting the usual mid winter rain).

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With the exception of the rain day and the ice day, the skiing so far this winter has been better than last winter IMHO. Can't speak for seasons previous to last winter.

 

 Originally Posted By: Mongoose
"I've seen a few newsletters recently sent out by some Niseko based companies claiming that this season is a bumper one with lots of early snow"

 

Seriously ..what crap..so far its been a lean winter..take a drive around Hokkaido and its yuki tsukunai..yep niseko is getting some snow but measurements mean nothing..when the sassa's buried then the season ridings start..always has been the yard stick..if it aint burued it aint on period.

 

If everyone has your attitude Mongoose then that would explain why there are so many untracked lines to be skied this winter.

 

Plenty of sasa about, plenty of snow, and plenty of face shots.

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Well we've had good snowfalls just about everyday since New Year. I spent today at Rusutsu and it didn't stop snowing the whole time. It just got better and better as the day went on. And there was practically nobody off-piste!

 

The coming week has snow forecast everyday and by about Wednesday there will be some very cold temps across Hokkaido. So far at least this month is definitely turning it on. Just hope it doesn't stop for another couple of months or so \:D

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Mikepow like I said before I lived in Niseko well before the circus came to town,when there were hardly any gaijins around...yep been spoiled with alot of uncrowded powder days, dont really bother with Niseko any more, there's a hell of alot better riding around just got to do the miles...

Fact is..its got along way to go till its cranking..when its on I'll have me hnd up first saying so but right now it's warm and and not doing it..yep its gunna get cloder later this week which is about time..I remember a similar dec/jan 4 years ago bit more base but we were having BBQ's outside for xmas..went away for 2 weeks mid jan and it puked and had dumps right thru feb/march and thru to mis april..back country riding was awesome..

Lets hope this happens but things weather wise definitely are changing...Jan and feb we should hardly see the sun

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The Hakuba dump nearly killed me! I had to call a friend to borrow a 2,500,000 yen blower to get a handle on what fell.

 

My pit 2 days ago showed 1.5 meters or there abouts settled from the storm at 1500 meters. The riding was sick until today with the BC off the hook!

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Yep Indo thats what I mean ..too much hoopla about early riding ...its only 20cm depth up on last year for same time and thats come from last few days...Yep its gunna come..always does..its just best riding doesnt start until late jan...

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All this talk about not much snow! JAYSUS, I skiied on a "reported" cover of just 12 cms a few years ago. OK, that was in OZ, and it was a crap season, but to say, as Mongoose does

 

 Quote:
measurements mean nothing..when the sassa's buried then the season ridings start..always has been the yard stick..if it aint burued it aint on period.
shows how spoiled for snow you guys are.

 

I guess that's why I'm heading back up there from Oz in a couple of days time, for the third season in a row.

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The circus brought variety acts, many freak shows and a mega dump of cash.

 

I enjoy the freak shows from the sidelines.

 

From the cams it just looks about right. This year I'm there in March. March has always looked awesome to me from my desk, so March it is. And I managed to get a room with a balcony onsen. Nice......

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Mike I did its still pretty average...it'll come, when you look at possible good riding to come until at least end of march there's still a hell of alot of riding to come.

Thats me main point..dec/early jan isnt when its on..its the push to bring punters in cause thats when it coincides with hols and they keen to blow coin..

The big snow couple of years ago was different story..but that season nearly broke me back from every bloody day the amount of yuki kakki that went down..

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From today onwards it looks like a good week for snow accumulation up here. There should be good ongoing falls and the temps will be low meaning the quality will be real nice.

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