Niseko Now: Friday 16th February 2018
- Feb 16, 2018
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 17cm
Snowfall at base this season 1055cm
Posted on Friday 16th February 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Happy Chinese New Year!
And to celebrate, how about lots of fresh new snowfall once again. I have 17cm to add to my observed snowfall here at base, with most of that coming from yesterday. Check out the Avalanche report below; their numbers are 30-40cm of fresh at higher elevations. In short - lots more fresh snow since yesterday.
It was snowing still when I got up earlier, but as I started writing this report there was actually some sunshine coming through my window and the snow had eased off. Since then and as I get to post the report, the sun is back in hiding and there is some very light snow falling. There's a bit of wind blowing the flags I can see across the road and it looks like the top lift at Annupuri is going to be on hold. Latest info on lifts as I post the report below...
The forecast remains good for continued snowy conditions over the coming week. Look out for some potential heavy snow and winds tomorrow.
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I was just looking at the numbers from previous seasons (below).
Last season I observed 160cm of snowfall during the full month of February. With todays haul, my number for this month in the first 16 days is close to that at 156cm. Still a ways to go before reaching the 266cm I observed in February 2016. Let's see if we can 'beat' that. If the forecasts are right, I think we might.
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This weekend the busiest weekend of the season? It may well be. Have you booked a restaurant yet? If not, be sure to get to the convenience store quickly before it sells out!
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 6am: -7℃, 40cm snowfall in the last 24 hours. Moiwa 800m: -10.2℃, NW19,6m/s at 4am, 30cm snowfall with snowdrift/cornice development. Annupuri 1150m: -13℃, stormy condition, bad visibility, 350cm snowpack at 1000m elevation. Hirafu 1250m: -13℃, strong NW wind, 30cm snowfall with heavy snowdrift development. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW14m/s, Kamui cape NW11m/s, 1011hPa, 2.2m waves.
Storm continues and the growing cornices/snowdrifts are very unstable. The avalanche risk in Mikaeri Bowl, Back bowl, Osawa and far side Higashi-One is very high and will remain high all day even if the wind calms down. Peak gates will be closed. Do not duck ropes to access fresh tracks.
The conditions in the trees is awesome, however better stick on ridge terrain to ride down and stay away from gullies and slopes with cornices above. Choose your route wisely today. Ride one by one and do not stay put at the bottom of the valleys. Stay within controllable speed and watch out for cracks. Better not stimulate cornices and knoll terrains.
Is your avalanche beacon switched on? Are you wearing a helmet? Although not mandatory, it is highly recommended to wear those safety equipment. A strong north westerly wind is persisting above 1000m elevation. Don’t push is too far and have a great day.
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Friday 16th February 2018
Resort specific information (operations subject to change):
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts (apart from King Number 2) should be operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 490cm
- Base: 245cm
Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts should be operating
- The top Jumbo Number 4 lift is on hold at the start of the day due to strong winds
Official snow depth:
- Top: 380cm
- Base: 250cm
Niseko Village
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts (apart from the Country Road Chair lift) should be operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 380cm
- Base: 270cm
Niseko Now 2017-2018 season |
Data as of Friday 16th February 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 1055cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 76 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (31st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 305cm reported on 26 days February 2018 snowfall 156cm reported on 12 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.