Niseko Now: Saturday 17th January 2026
- Jan 17
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 16cm
Snowfall at base this season 472cm
Good morning from Niseko.
Some interesting conditions out there yesterday. I spent a bit of time over at Annupuri and it was a bit icy and I heard similar from a few friends.
Today should be generally better as we have a nice layer of lovely fresh snow again. (Well, apart from Niseko Village which is, of course, reporting 0cm).
My measurement is 16cm - and it's good stuff, too.
At the start of the day we have a mix of cloud and blue sky and sunshine.
OK, I have places I am itching to get to! Might see you on the lifts (all of which are opening as planned).
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -7℃, light winds, 15cm new snow. Moiwa 800m: data n/a. Annupuri 1100m: -11.6℃, WSW2.7m/s. Village 1000m: -10.5℃, WSW2.5m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: SSW3.7m/s, light winds, 15cm new snow. Hanazono 800m: -8.0℃, W3.9m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape WNW9m/s, Kamui Cape SW10m/s, 1012hPa, 3.9m waves.
Light westerly winds blowing in from the sea, the pressure gradient is shallow and the coastal mountains are calm. 10-25cm of soft snow has fallen. Slab formation is minimal, and the general avalanche risk is low. Winter surface avalanches occur when wind slabs (wind-generated snow slabs) created during strong snowstorms, break off. While the sun can also cause slab formation, accidents are more likely to occur in bad weather. Niseko assesses avalanche risk based on snowfall trends, such as blizzards, and provides information based on these trends.
Moiwa Gate 10, where a series of accidents, some fatal, over the past 15 years is closed. Also Gate 6 toward Mikaeri is closed until new resort safety measures are in place. All peak gates are expected to be open. Please follow the patrol’s instructions. This is the first time in 30 years that new no-entry zones have been designated. Niseko respects your freedom but must always balance that with safety. We know that Niseko Rules would not be possible without everyone’s cooperation and we must insist that everyone cooperates. The snow is good, but you may hit rock bottom in some places. Be careful of falling, hitting trees, or falling into creeks. Are your beacons on? Remember, areas outside the gates are not part of the ski resort.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 13cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 227cm (+7cm change since yesterday)
Base: 164cm (+4cm 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: 300cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 110cm (+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: 220cm (-16cm change since yesterday)
Base: 130cm (-2cm 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 (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 Saturday 17th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 472cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 46 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 254cm reported on 16 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.