Niseko Now: Tuesday 11th March 2014
- Mar 11, 2014
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 5cm
Snowfall at base this season 1134cm
Posted on Tuesday 11th March 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
5cm of fresh snow this morning to report from here in Hirafu village area.
It doesn't feel quite as cold this morning, and the sun is out. It's a bit overcast feeling at the moment and actually some local forecasts tell us that there might even be some snowfall today. Doesn't feel likely at the moment but as we all know here things can change very quickly - case in point yesterday when conditions were changing very quickly.
There's generally less snowfall on the weekly forecast now but we can expect temperatures to remain fairly cold even if we see more of the sun.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base 6am: -6C, 5cm of snow in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NW10m/s, -9C, 10cm of fresh, moderate development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: W15m/s, -11C, light snowfall, 320cm snowpack. Hirafu 1000m: -9C, 10cm of fresh, snowdrift development. Peak 1308m: NW12.5m/s, -11C. Coastal data: cape Benkei NNW4m/s, cape Kamui E3m/s, 1.8m waves, 1016hPa.
The isobars gradient is small; snowfall and snowdrift development is small. Some snowclouds are still present over the sea of Japan due to a small low-pressure. Intermittent snowfall is forecasted throughout the day. The snow in the trees is good and the avalanche hazard under 900m altitude is low. However slides from March 10th layer are still considerable in cornice slopes and open steeps. Caution is required in 1000m Backbowl, Osawa and Higashi-One area. Peak gates will open from the morning. Be prepared and geared up for the backcountry. Cornices have grown huge. Anyone caught in a falling cornice will face serious consequences. Do not stay under cornices. Cracks are wide open and deep, beware of falling in them. Carrying 15m of a 7mm rope is recommended. Always ride with a partner as they would notice if anything happens. Do you have your beacon switched on? Carrying a beacon is not mandatory, however strongly recommended. Beware of sudden weather changes. Have a nice day.
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Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing:
Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 410cm
Base - 205cm
Niseko Village:
Top - 390cm
Base - 220cm
Annupuri:
Top - 395cm
Base - 200cm
Niseko Now 2013-2014 season |
Data as of Tuesday 11th March 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 1134cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 89 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 461cm reported on 29 days February 2014 snowfall 178cm reported on 20 days March 2014 snowfall 97cm reported on 9 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.