Niseko Now: Saturday 10th January 2026
- Jan 10
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 13cm
Snowfall at base this season 367cm
Good morning from Niseko.
As of 8:30am I had measured another 13cm of snowfall since my previous report.
Today is going to be milder than it has been and will probably warm up into low positive numbers.
But it will be getting colder again tomorrow and it's looking like there is a chance that wind might get to be rather pesky over the next few days.
For now, we're ok and all lifts are running.
This morning visibility is ranging from pretty good to limited/poor in places.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -5℃, 20cm snow in last 12hrs. Moiwa 800m: -8.2℃, WNW2.4m/s, 20cm new snow, calm and no snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -7.3℃, SW1.9m/s. Village 1000m: -6.6℃, SSW2.1m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -7.0℃, N3.8m/s. Hanazono 800m: -4.8℃, NNE3.4m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape S3m/s, Kamui Cape E3m/s, 1013hPa, 0.5m waves.
Calm conditions at sea and on the mountains preceding a low pressure system over the Sea of Japan. Temperatures are expected to rise after noon with snow and southerly winds. After the low pressure system passes, northerly winds and snow will intensify with snowdrift development. The avalanche risk will be HIGH at all elevations and aspects from late this afternoon through tomorrowh. Avoid skiing in leeward valleys or steep side walls in blizzards. Stay out of the valley bottoms. Many accidents occur during blizzards. After the winds fall below 10m/s, snowdrifts can begin to consolidate and stabilize. Wind-driven slabs, which grow rapidly with >15m/s winds and snowfall, are prone to fracture on weak layers. Finding the weak layer after an accident is too late and will not bring back the dead. Don’t rely too much on learned avalanche knowledge. Patrol will make open/close decisions at each gate. Please follow their decisions. We ask that you respect the patrol who ensure your safety behind the scenes. In the Mikaeri accident the day before yesterday, the Moiwa Patrol quickly rescued the victim, while the Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Team and mountainside fire department were quickly on scene awaiting to assist. These people ensure the safety of the mountains. Get out early today. There will be no avalanche information tomorrow. There is no 100% safety in this sport. Is your beacon on? Have a nice day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 203cm (-9cm change since yesterday)
Base: 133cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
4 of 4 lifts
Gondola until 7:00pm
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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: 265cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 95cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
9 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
Planned open courses:
Courses not available are Large, Konayuki and Miharashi
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 200cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 110cm (-4cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
7 of 8 lifts (not Country Road)
Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair until 7:00pm
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 15cm
Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 160cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 130cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 6 lifts
Jumbo Number 1 quad until 7:30pm
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Planned lift operations:
3 of 3 lifts
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Saturday 10th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 367cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 40 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December and 2nd January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 149cm 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.