Niseko Now: Wednesday 14th January 2026
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 19cm
Snowfall at base this season 441cm
Good morning from Niseko.
We had some mad blizzard conditions later in the day yesterday. I thought the roof of my place was going to take off! Pesky wind is still an issue again this morning and many lifts are affected.
Still, the incoming snowfall has also continued, blessing us with another 20cm or so of fresh. (Once again, interesting to see the Avalanche Report clocking up 40cm). My own measurement is 19cm.
Certainly pesky winds have really been blowing it all around, making a 'definitive number' difficult. But as I have noted before, getting good consistent snowfall is one of the nicest problems to have.
The situation might be calmer all round tomorrow morning, though the weekly forecast still shows fairly regular snow.
If you are gnarly enough to head out in these conditions, largely limited to lower runs at the start of the day, do take super care.
(Obviously, I'm easily gnarly enough, but I'm going to have a leisurely morning with some toast and coffee in my warm room).
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base: -12℃, 40cm snowfall. Moiwa 800: -15.2℃, no wind data, large cornice and snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -17.6℃, WNW9.9m/s with 20m/s gusts. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -17.0℃, NNE3.2m/s. Hanazono 800m: -8.2℃, NNE2.0m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei cape NW19m/s, Kamui cape WSW15m/s, 1003hPa, 3.0m waves.
Following the 30cm of snowfall until yesterday noon, the west side of the mountain range has experienced a severe blizzard from the west. Wind-drifted snow has rapidly accumulated on leeward slopes, reaching 100–150cm, with cornices exceeding 200cm. Large-scale slab avalanches with crown fractures of 50cm or more are highly likely on the western side of the mountain range, regardless of elevation. Most accidents occur in leeward gullies during heavy wind and snow. Use extreme caution. Be aware that avalanches caused from yesterday’s low-pressure snowfall are also a threat. These avalanches often have indistinct fracture lines but can occur even within forest areas and are extremely dangerous. Gate openings remain undecided; follow the ski patrol instructions.
A search operation by the fire department and police is scheduled to resume this morning for a person missing in the Anbetsu area. There is a concerning trend of accidents involving mainly Japanese nationals in the Moiwa area. This Avalanche Information service was established 40 years ago out of necessity following a series of fatal avalanches. It may be time to reconsider its role. It is important to remember that neither this information nor the Niseko Rules were ever intended and continued for the purpose of tourism promotion.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm (interesting)
Base: 30cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 240cm (-3cm change since yesterday)
Base: 165cm (+12cm 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: 20cm
Base: 20cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 310cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 120cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
9 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 236cm (+36cm change since yesterday) (with 0cm of new snowfall reported!)
Base: 132cm (+22cm 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: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 200cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 150cm (no 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 Wednesday 14th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 441cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 43 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 223cm 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.