Niseko Now: Tuesday 17th February 2026
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 5cm
Snowfall at base this season 797cm
Good morning from... Sapporo. Yes, I am not in Niseko this morning and so this is a rare 'not first-hand' report. I will always let you know when that is the case. Todays information comes to you thanks to a quick phone call with a friend and an examination of webcams and the official site etc.
Lots of cloud this morning (though the sun appears to be trying to break though and quite bright in places), and light snow has been falling early on.
The Avalanche Report is saying 5cm of fresh snow, with Hanazono going with an optimistic (and certainly good) sounding up to 20cm on the mountain. Hirafu goes with 10cm, but Annupuri isn't posting any. My friend informs me 5cm. (I might adjust the snowfall number on this report once I get back this evening if it seems required).
I will be back to my base tomorrow, but my next report will be posted later than usual.
Enough with all my excuses today!
To the bloke on the Hanazono webcam wearing shorts... samukunai desu ka?!
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -5°C, 5cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -9.0°C, WNW 0.5m/s. Annupuri 1100m: -11.2°C, W 4.0m/s. Niseko Village 1000m: -10.0°C, WSW 2.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono: -10.6°C, N 2.1m/s. Hanazono 800m: -7.9°C, SSE 2.4m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape WNW 7m/s, Kamui Cape SE 13m/s, 1018hPa, 1.0m waves.
We are in a high-pressure system; conditions are calm both at sea and in the mountains. At around 800m elevation near the tree line, weak westerly winds are slowly developing snowdrifts, resetting slopes. Based on observations, the overall avalanche risk is low. All gates will open. Follow the patrol’s instructions. Once you exit the gate, please remember the following: Outside of the gates is not a ski resort. Always know your location. Keep your avalanche beacon on. There are many people in the valley. Do not trigger avalanches carelessly. Avalanches are natural phenomena, but accidents are caused by people. Do not ski simultaneously. Maintain distance when traversing. Do not duck ropes. DO NOT enter strictly off-limits areas. This sport always carries risk. Do not be overconfident in your knowledge, experience, or skills. Guides and leaders have a responsibility to the team. This information is provided to reduce accidents in out-of-bounds areas. The groomers are fantastic this morning. Have a great day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 20cm
Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 315cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 210cm (+5cm 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: 395cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 175cm (+5cm 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: 290cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 195cm (-5cm 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: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 280cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 200cm (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 Tuesday 17th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 797cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 73 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 128cm reported on 15 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.