Niseko Now: Saturday 10th February 2024
- Feb 10, 2024
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 756cm
Posted on Saturday 10th February 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Good morning from Niseko.
This morning I have just slightly over 1cm of snow to report. (Hirafu and Hanazono are reporting 5-10cm, so perhaps we can expect up to that much higher on the mountain).
It is snowing early on and hopefully we will get more through the day.
As I mentioned, it's very likely to get warmer in the coming week, a Japan-wide thing, so anything we can get today and tomorrow before it does that is most welcome.
Niseko was featured on one of the main Japanese TV evening news spots again last night. It was another of those 'Niseko boom'-style pieces, this time with some Chinese New Year shades thrown in. There were lots of Dr Evil-style numbers being thrown around again. Apparently, the 'target' is now very much individual travel(l)ers with extremely large wallets (rather than groups). Hence the posh bags shop, etc. They didn't mention anything about the snow.
Anyway, all lifts are go* and let's Happy Chinese New Year!
(* ones that plan to go)
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain Base 6am: -6°, trace new snow. Moiwa 800m: -9.8°, E0.5m/s. Mikaeri 764m: -10°, minor snowfall and snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -10.6°, WNW2.0m/s. Niseko Village 1000m: -9.1°, W2.2m/s. Hanazono 1000m: -9.8°, WSW1.8m/s, trace new snow. Hanazono 3 : -7.9°, light S wind. Coastal data: Benkei Cape: calm. Kamui Cape WSW3m/s, 1019hPa, wave 0.6m.
The atmospheric pressure gradient is flat, the sea and mountains are calm, there has been no significant snowfall and the snow pack has stabilised. The general avalanche risk is low. All gates are expected to be open. Please prepare before heading out the gates. Outside of the gates is not part of the ski resort. Do duck ropes looking for fresh snow. Never enter Strictly Off Limits Areas Haru no Taki or YunoSawa. Also, groups have been seen ducking the rope below Gate 2 to enter Osawa. If you do, everyones lift pass will be confiscated. Traversing under cornices is always dangerous and can trigger an avalanche. There will be many people out of bounds today, including in the valley below you. Please consider their safety. The ski slopes will be fantastic this morning. Yesterday's tracks below 700m have step up hard. Note. This sport is great, but not very safe. Have a nice day.
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Individual ski area information for Saturday 10th February 2024
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change.
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 10cm
- Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 340cm (+5cm since yesterday)
- Base: 130cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts apart from King Number 1 pair and King Number 2 quad (normal operations)
- The Ace Family quad, Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four), Hirafu Gondola and Holiday Number 1 pair lifts are scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 5cm
- Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 265cm (+5cm since yesterday)
- Base: 185cm (-5cm since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
- The Hanazono Symphony Gondola is scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 215cm (no change since yesterday)
- Base: 180cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
- The Jumbo Number 1 quad lift is scheduled to be open until 7:30pm
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 258cm (+3cm since yesterday)
- Base: 173cm (+3cm since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts apart from Morino Chair and Country Road
- The Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair are scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
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Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024.
Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri.
Niseko Now 2023-2024 season |
Data as of Saturday 10th February 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 756cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 69 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 62cm (8th January) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 298cm reported on 24 days February 2024 snowfall 91cm reported on 10 days |
All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report.