Niseko Now: Friday 13th March 2026
- Mar 13
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 862cm
I have to be quick and early this morning and so pre-opening.
Still, even at this early time it looks like upper lifts (at least) will have problems today due to windy conditions.
We might have a few more days of cloud/light snow before clearer skies coming in from Monday.
By the way, I missed this before, sorry... the small Asahigaoka ski hill behind Kutchan Station has already closed for the season. More on that tomorrow...
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -1℃, strong winds overnight, snowdrift formation, light snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -5.0℃, E7.2m/s, light snowfall, snowdrift formation. Annupuri 1100m: -7.0℃, NNE6.0m/s. Village 1000m: -5.8℃, NNE13.6m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -6.4℃, N13.1m/s. Hanazono 800m: -4.3℃, N5.4m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape ENE7m/s, Kamui Cape ENE5m/s, 1025hPa, wave n/a.
Strong northerly winds higher on the mountain will make lift operation difficult today. All peak gates will be closed to prevent accidents. Although snowfall has been light, snowdrifts have formed and new cornice development is fragile and likely to break. Look out for the following avalanches: Weak layers on open, steep slopes where snowdrifts exceed 40cm. Fast, shallow surface avalanches (magic carpet avalanches) on steep slopes with large elevation changes where the snow is wind crusted. from wind. Full-depth avalanches at Annupuri Bowl, Back Bowl, and Moiwa Mikaeri Bowl. To prevent accidents, stay out of the bottom of valleys and gullies. As we transition into spring, there is the possibility of various types of avalanches. Don’t rely too much on your knowledge or experience, and always be cautious. Strong winds continue above 1,500m. A Patagonia-like umbrella cloud hangs over the summit of Mt. Yotei. Be well prepared when entering the mountains. This information is based on temperature, wind speed & direction data from seven locations on the mountain, as well as two Japan Coast Guard lighthouses data. The numbers don’t lie. Have a nice day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 1cm
Base: 1cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 290cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 175cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Gondola until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 365cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 100cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 270cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 152cm (-1cm change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 270cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 140cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Jumbo Number 1 quad until 7:30pm
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Moiwa has a planned closing date of Sunday 5th April.
Asahigaoka ski area (near Kutchan Station) closed on 8th March.
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Friday 13th March 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 862cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 86 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (on 12th January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 451cm reported on 28 days February 2026 snowfall 154cm reported on 19 days March 2026 snowfall 39cm 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.