Niseko Now: Wednesday 13th February 2019
- Feb 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 14cm
Snowfall at base this season 863cm
Posted on Wednesday 13th February 2019 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
This morning I bring you news of 14cm of fresh snowfall.
And once again, it's very cold and the snow quality is just excellent. :)
And once again, it looks like such consistent conditions are going to continue through until around Sunday.
Is that some sunshine I see on the forecast for Monday?! We ain't seeing much of that of late, just a few glimpses now and again. Bit of blue sky around lunchtime yesterday was nice. As long as the snow doesn't stay away for too long, I think many of us would be excited to have a day of clearer skies. (Just to be very clear, that is of course not in any way a 'complaint' - I'm just imagining perfect scenarios!)
Rather limited visibility at the start of the day today but all lifts appear to be opening as planned.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Mountain base 6am: -10℃, 15cm snowfall in 24h. Moiwa 800m: -13.1℃, NW4.3m/s, cornice and snowdrifts developments. Mikaeri junction: -13℃, developing snowdrifts. Annupuri1120m snow depth 250cm. Mizuno no Sawa: 6cm snowfall in 12h, 8cm in 24h. Hirafu peak: -16℃, wind peaking at 15m/s late night, snowdrifts developed. Suttsu weather station: -6.1℃, NW14.5m/s at midnight. Kutchan: -8.6℃, 194cm snow depth. Benkei cape light house: NW9m/s, Kamui cape: NNW8m/s, 1022hPa, 1.4m waves.
The weather is changing quickly and a 10-15m/s storm is making cornices and snowdrifts develop slowly above 800m elevation. According to pressure tests, the overall avalanche risk seems relatively low, however 40cm thick surface slab avalanches caused by snowdrifts’ uneven bonding are still likely to occur in 1000m leeward steep slopes. All gates are scheduled to open, however make sure to be well prepared for the backcountry and seek for advice from the patrols before stepping out of the gates.
Avy beacons and airbags are not decorations. It makes no sense to carry them if you’re not familiar with how to use them. Cornices are highly likely to fall around this time of the season. Cornice drops may be fun, but is not worth risking your life. Building kickers wherever without being aware of the consequences is nonsense. If you do build one, make sure to flatten it before you leave. Somebody could get hurt.
The snow condition is wonderful again today. Have a good one.
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Ski resort operation information: Wednesday 13th February 2019
Subject to change due to weather conditions
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 375cm
- Base: 175cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts planning to be operating as normal at the start of the day (Ace Number 1 and King Number 2 lifts rested)
- The Ace Family quad (until 8:30pm), Ace Center 4 quad (8:20pm), Hirafu Gondola (until 8:10pm) and Holiday Number 1 pair (until 8:30pm) lifts are normally open during the evening
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 285cm
- Base: 235cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts planning to be operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Hanazono lifts are normally open until 3:50pm (Number 3 until 3:30pm)
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 320cm
- Base: 170cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts planning to be operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Jumbo 1 lift is normally open until 8:30pm during the evening
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 320cm
- Base: 170cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts planning to be operating as normal at the start of the day (Country Road lift rested)
- The Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair lifts are normally open until 8:00pm during the evening
Niseko Now 2018-2019 season |
Data as of Wednesday 13th February 2019 Total snowfall at base so far 863cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 72 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (29th December) November 2018 snowfall 84cm reported on 8 days December 2018 snowfall 333cm reported on 26 days January 2019 snowfall 285cm reported on 25 days February 2019 snowfall 161cm reported on 13 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.