Niseko Now: Thursday 15th January 2026
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 14cm
Snowfall at base this season 455cm
Good morning from Niseko.
The earlier snow has eased off and there's a bit of sunshine (sort of) now in places. Wind is still persisting and top lifts across the mountain are not moving this morning.
Oh yes, and I must mention the 14cm of fresh snow.
And on that note, I thought I'd put together another mid-month look back thingy to see how the season is shaping up.
Here's how much snowfall I have observed by - and including - the report on 15th December in each seasons since 2012. Sorted with the season with the most at top.
2012-2013 season: 787cm
2014-2015 season: 712cm
2013-2014 season: 701cm
2017-2018 season: 685cm
2020-2021 season: 663cm
2021-2022 season: 595cm
2023-2024 season: 585cm
2018-2019 season: 536cm
2015-2016 season: 484cm
2022-2023 season: 478cm
2025-2026 season: 455cm
2024-2025 season: 446cm
2019-2020 season: 393cm
2016-2017 season: 355cm
237cm of snow so far in January, taking the season snowfall total up to 455cm. I have now observed more snowfall than I had at this point last season (and two others).
It has been great to get that consistency going, too, with only one report in January when I was not able to report any fresh snow.
There are a lot of people around. Check out the images below from 10:30am. I'm guessing many of those people waiting to get on a lift are aware that there are many other ski areas in Japan that are much less crowded and much cheaper than Niseko. Still, they make the choice to come to Niseko. (Haro to you all and welcome). My point in saying that is not to suggest that they are silly. It demonstrates how the allure of Niseko is not fading. Rather, with so many people around and runs getting tracked out relatively quickly each day, consistency and regular fresh snow is perhaps even more important here than it is at many other ski areas. And the last few weeks we have thankfully enjoyed consistency.
After that rather lethargic start to the season, I'm so happy to see the snowfall numbers looking more respectable now. Let's hope it continues and this season can get higher up in the above 'rankings'.
(Less wind though, please!)
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base: -7℃, 30cm snowfall. Moiwa 800: -11.2℃, strong westerly wind, poor visibility, large snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -13.7℃, WNW11.2m/s, large cornice and snowdrift development. Village 1000m: -12.2℃, W7.1m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -13.3℃, N4.9m/s, heavy snowfall. Hanazono 800m: -11.0℃, NNW8.5m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei cape NW17m/s, Kamui cape WSW16m/s, 1016hPa, 3.0m waves.
Under a strong winter-type pressure pattern, westerly storms have caused large snowdrifts to develop on leeward slopes above 800m elevation. Observations and tests indicate these snowdrifts can rupture instantly. Avalanche risk is extremely high on open leeward slopes above the tree line. The top chair lift operation is undetermined. It is advisable to stay on the ski courses today. Due to the Anbetsu accident, the Moiwa Quad Lift will remain closed until the cause is determined and a future policy is decided. Anbetsu was previously designated a hazardous area, but people continued entering even after Gate 10 was closed, ultimately leading to the accident. Therefore, preparations are underway to designate the area as a Niseko Rule strictly off-limits zone.
We respect skiers’ freedom. That’s why we installed gates and permitted skiing out-of-bounds areas despite national policy. The Niseko Rules achieved some success, reducing avalanche accidents in those areas. However, incidents like getting lost and becoming stranded increased. There are limits to ski resort safety measures in harsh winter conditions. Especially for out-of-bounds skiing safety, further strengthening of resort measures is essential, alongside raising skiers’ awareness. We express our deepest respect for the search efforts conducted by the Moiwa Patrol on the day before yesterday’s severe weather and by the Hokkaido Police and Fire Department search teams amid yesterday’s avalanche danger. We offer our profound condolences to the victim.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm ?
Base: 30cm !
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 225cm (-15cm change since yesterday)
Base: 175cm (+10cm 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: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 310cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 110cm (-10cm 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 (no change since yesterday)
Base: 132cm (no 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: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 200cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 130cm (-20cm 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 Thursday 15th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 455cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 44 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 237cm 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.