Hornster 0 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Spent an awesome week in Niseko in the first week of February this year for the first time and thought that the place had it all. The powder was plenty and the queues were minimal which is always a good combination. I am looking at spending another week in Niseko in the second half of February next year but wanted to check with any locals who check these forums if I can expect similar snow conditions at that time of the year? Please and thank you. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Lots of powder in the second half of February? Sounds like a fairly safe bet. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Feb would be pretty safe. For '09 I will be doing Feb instead of March. The snow would be great but the crowds at the restaurants would be terrible. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Well, seeing as how you are probably flying, and that is one of the single biggest polluting actions a human can do, i would say go in February before Global Warming reduces the season to 3 weeks at the end of January, and Niseko starts investing in Snow machines. Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 We went at the beginning of March this year and had a great time but didn't experience the deep powder Niseko is famous for so next year we have booked for early February. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 It all depends on the season and this season feb and and march tanked it in Hokkaido. You are dealing with mountains and the weather plan with that in mind. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Well, seeing as how you are probably flying, and that is one of the single biggest polluting actions a human can do, i would say go in February before Global Warming reduces the season to 3 weeks at the end of January, and Niseko starts investing in Snow machines. how did you come to Japan, yakskin canoe? Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Check out the Niseko now page (link at the top) and the archives to get an idea of what it has been like the last number of years Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Originally Posted By: Fattwins It all depends on the season and this season feb and and march tanked it in Hokkaido. You are dealing with mountains and the weather plan with that in mind. "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" Mark Twain While March was disappointing by Hokkaido standards the first week did bring 29cm at village level in Hirafu and excellent turns on the hill. And February had 291cm at village level with only 6 days without snowfall recorded. And on 16 February I skied the deepest & lightest snow I've ever experienced. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Originally Posted By: snowhunter We went at the beginning of March this year and had a great time but didn't experience the deep powder Niseko is famous for so next year we have booked for early February. I just hope people don't think this March was normal. Because it was anything but! It was the warmest and had the least snowfall on record. Up until around mid March it is often as good as at anytime through the season. The 06/07 season we had better snow in March than we did for much of Feb. If everyone wants to come in Feb instead of March, good luck on finding accommodation! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 You gonna rent out some floor space at your house GN? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Not sure if my wife would be too keen on that... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Yeah but while you got shafted other places got slammed! 276cms front loaded means JFA to the guy that books the next week. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Getting a bed is an achievement. Getting a meal in a half decent joint is a lottery. The odds are very very long. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Originally Posted By: Fattwins Yeah but while you got shafted other places got slammed! 276cms front loaded means JFA to the guy that books the next week. I have no idea what this means. If it's referring to Hokkaido 'tanking it' in February and March then as I've already written, that is factually incorrect. There was no significant new snow between 08 March and 31 March. Prior to 08 March there was plenty. Link to post Share on other sites
Worm 0 Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Was anywhere slammed after mid-March? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 The Niseko now reports arent glowing with bottomless reports in Feb. The reports from the guides up there werent that good either. Myoko got slammed this season. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I can testify to that!! The dump of snow there was out of this world!! Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Originally Posted By: Fattwins The Niseko now reports arent glowing with bottomless reports in Feb. The reports from the guides up there werent that good either. Myoko got slammed this season. My recorded snowfall for February. Make of it what you will. inches , cm 1-Feb 12, 31 2-Feb 7, 17 3-Feb 5, 12 4-Feb 1, 2 5-Feb 4, 9 6-Feb 12, 31 7-Feb 2, 5 8-Feb 0, 0 9-Feb 2, 4 10-Feb 0, 0 11-Feb 0, 0 12-Feb 5, 12 13-Feb 4, 10 14-Feb 7, 19 15-Feb 10, 26 16-Feb 6, 14 17-Feb 11, 27 18-Feb 1, 3 19-Feb 0, 0 20-Feb 0, 0 21-Feb 5, 12 22-Feb 1, 3 23-Feb 2, 5 24-Feb 10, 25 25-Feb 2, 5 26-Feb 4, 9 27-Feb 2, 6 28-Feb 0, 0 29-Feb 2, 4 TOTAL 115, 291 There were plenty of deep turns to be made both in and out of bounds throughout the month. The biggest problem with February was the shit load of snow we got at the end of the month that was destroyed by the 2-day wind event. The start of March was fantastic. I went on the road and had knee deep or deeper pow at Chisenupuri, Niseko United, Kamui Ski Links, Aashidake, Kurodake, Kiroro Snowworld and Sapporo Kokusai. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Fattwins are you really going to turn another thread on Niseko into another ours is bigger than yours debate? For one did anyone from here claim that we had the best snow in Japan throughout Feb or Mar? And Hornster was asking about Niseko not Myoko. Once again you just can't seem to miss an opportunity to get involved in discussions on a place you have never been to and in this case presuming to know more about the snow conditions here than MikePow! I mean Mike skied here damn near every day this last season, I think I'd go with his version of events over yours. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Im not turning into its bigger than mine. Someone asked who got nailed and Myoko got nailed hard this season. As for snow Feb was a flop for you guys when you really sit back and look at it. Half the snow you got was reported to be blown off of the mountain. You can float it all you want whichever way you want to but Feb didnt live up to the hype of guaranteed snow in Feb. Mountains are mountains sometimes you get hit and sometimes you dont! Just ask Thursday. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Poor Thursday. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I personally enjoyed the powder anytime I was in Niseko. You cant go wrong between late Dec-late Feb. You will get storms early Dec and even in March, but, IMHO, thats when its most consistent. Id reckon feb is the best but its all good up in Niseko!! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Yeah, my trip this time was a bit of a disappointment snow wise. It was dumping in Feb and I was anticipating the same for mid-March, much like it was in 2007. But alas, it was not to be. But {Schwarzenegger voice} "I'll be back". But in Feb 2009. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Originally Posted By: Fattwins As for snow Feb was a flop for you guys when you really sit back and look at it. Half the snow you got was reported to be blown off of the mountain. You can float it all you want whichever way you want to but Feb didnt live up to the hype of guaranteed snow in Feb. No reason to or benefit from embellishing what fell from the sky in February. My measurements at village level took the wind into consideration. The huge snowfall at the end of the month was a non-event in my records even though I had to tunnel my way out of my house. I didn't record this snowfall and mentioned it in a previous thread. So the 291cm that I recorded was IMHO significantly less than what fell above mid-mountain. A lot of mountains would be ecstatic to receive 291cm at village level in the shortest month of the year. And close to 3m puts this as an 'average' month in an 'average' seasonal snowfall of 14m for the Niseko area. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts