Niseko Now: Friday 15th January 2016
- Jan 15, 2016
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 24cm
Snowfall at base this season 484cm
Posted on Friday 15th January 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
My oh my, we really are enjoying a superb patch right now, aren't we?
There's 24cm of beautiful fresh new snowfall piled up round the back of my place this morning after the impressive snow that we had yesterday. Given that the mountain is often thought to get up to one and a half the amount we get here in the village area, that means we can very probably expect 30-35cm up there this morning. Out of duty I think I will have to force myself to make my way up there this morning right after posting this report, just so that I can check for myself and confirm. I already have most of my gear on!
It's the kind of morning that I love as well. The sun is out and there's increasingly more blue sky as well.
A beautiful morning... in so many ways.
Niseko Grand Hirafu today breaks the 3m barrier for official snow depth up top. And oh yes, snowfall still on the forecast every day over the next week with some sun still a possibility on Sunday.
Hurray!
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How many of you felt the earthquake yesterday at 12:31pm?
It was quite a bit one as well - magnitude 6.7. The biggest shaking was felt in eastern parts of Hakodate city and along the coastline to the south east of Sapporo. Parts of Sapporo got a fair shake too. Here in the Niseko region a 'shindo 3' was recorded. The Japanese 'shindo' seismic intensity scale is actually very interesting and gives you a much better idea of how an earthquake affects people in different places on the ground rather than the simple magnitude number. It is measured in units which basically describe the degree of shaking at a point on the ground. Shindo 1 is a bit of wobble and some people might not notice it. The strongest Shindo 7 is a violent, destructive and terrifying earthquake. Wikipedia explains shindo 3 as being 'felt by most to all people indoors - some people are frightened' and 'objects inside rattle noticeably and can fall off tables'.
Shindo 3 isn't destructive at all and so there were no problems here that I am aware of.
Anyway, nothing to worry about.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 6am: -8℃, 30cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -10℃, E5m/s, 40cm of wind-compacted snow. Mikaeri 740m: NW8m/s at 4am, 40cm snowfall with development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: -13℃, 50cm wind-affected slabs/ Hirafu 1000m: -10℃, mild wind, 30cm snowfall. Coastal data; Benkei cape S3m/s, Kamui cape ENE4m/s, 1014hPa, 1.5m waves.
Heavy snowfall continued in the western areas above 800m until late night and snowdrifts have largely developed, however the wind calmed down after 1am and no real snowfall since then. Looking at the weather transition and snow observations, the snowpack is stabilizing and the overall avalanche hazard level is lowering, however risk remains high in leeside slopes above 1000m. Stay away from Osawa (Annupuri bowl) cornice/knolls and Higashi-One (East ridge above Hanazono) cornices/knolls. 50cm thick slab slides are still highly likely to occur.
The snow is deep, beware of being stuck. Good idea to carry snowshoes/skins. Peak gates will open, please follow the patrol’s instructions.
The snow is wind-affected, bit heavy, good consistency. Beware of collisions and cracks. Most accidents can be avoided by being prudent. Have a great day!
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Official resort snow depths as of Friday 15th January 2016:
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono
Top - 310cm
Base - 130cm
Niseko Village
Top - 230cm
Base - 130cm
Niseko Annupuri
Top - 200cm
Base - 140cm
Niseko Now 2015-2016 season |
Data as of Friday 15th January 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 484cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 35 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (26th and 28th December) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 179cm reported on 14 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.