Niseko Now: Saturday 13th January 2018
- Jan 13, 2018
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 18cm
Snowfall at base this season 680cm
Posted on Saturday 13th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
I bring happy news of some lovely fresh snow on the ground here at base. I measured 18cm of very nice quality snow. Hurray! And with up to 30cm being reported higher up, conditions should be excellent this morning. And that sounds jolly good to me. Expect more than a few people thinking the same and hitting the slopes early on.
The sun is out as well at the moment. The winds are calm and it is good and cold.
The sunny conditions might not last the day but tomorrow is expected to be sunny from the start all the way through. It is after all, Sunday. So it would seem appropriate.
After that, the next decent snow should be around Monday.
That is all from me this morning and I wish you a happy and safe Saturday.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 6am: -10℃, 20cm snowfall, calm. Moiwa 800m -10℃, SW breeze, 30cm snowfall. Annupuri 1150m: -13℃, W5m/s, 20cm snowfall. Hirafu 1250m: -13℃, NW8m/s, 30cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape WSW5m/s, Kamui cape W5m/s, 1010hPa, 1.1m waves.
The isobars are spread out and the weather is calm on the ocean and the mountains. A light surface hoar has formed due to radiative cooling. The new snow is light, typical snow crystals not affected by the wind. The general avalanche risk is low today. Peak gates will open, please seek for ski patrol’s advice before stepping out of bounds.
A thin avalanche from Jan 13th layer may occur in steep slopes. Carefully ride one by one, stay away from valley bottoms or potential avalanche path when resting. Wearing a helmet and beacon is not mandatory but is heavily recommended. Beacons could save your and other’s lives.
Outside the boundaries is not the resort anymore, everyone is responsible of their own actions, better be prudent. Niseko is setting official Rules in order to protect the safety and freedom of out of bounds riding. Please respect the Niseko Rules. The snow is excellent today.
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Saturday 13th January 2018
Resort specific information (operations subject to change):
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts are generally operating
- 'Early Morning' services from 8:00am until 8:20am (Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift). Until 28th January. 500 yen special ticket required.
Official snow depth:
- Top: 370cm
- Base: 160cm
Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts are generally operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 270cm
- Base: 160cm
Niseko Village
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts except Country Road Chair are generally operating
- 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 13th-14th, 20th-21st, 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required.
Official snow depth:
- Top: 260cm
- Base: 160cm
Niseko Now 2017-2018 season |
Data as of Saturday 13th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 680cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 48 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 86cm 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.