Niseko Now: Wednesday 18th February 2026
- Feb 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 798cm
Good morning from Niseko and it feels relatively mild outside. Yes, I'm back home and had my toast. All is well.
This morning we have some snow falling and a variety of conditions out there; as far as I can see on the webcams anyway. Looks like there's some limited visibility out there still, and earlier on the Avalanche Report (below) was reporting fog.
Top lifts all appear to be on hold at the time of this report.
We do seem to be expecting fresh snow before tomorrow morning - though not much lined up on the forecasts beyond that and a relatively mild weekend forecast.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -2°C, no snowfall, calm. Moiwa 800m: -5.6°C, SSE 2.6m/s, dense fog. Annupuri 1100m: -7.4°C, SW 2.2m/s, dense fog. Niseko Village 1000m: -6.3°C, SSW 4.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -6.8°C, N 8.0m/s, dense fog. Hanazono 800m: -4.9°C, N 1.9m/s, dense fog. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape S 4m/s, Kamui Cape SSE 7m/s, 1011hPa, 0.7m waves.
No snowfall ahead of the low-pressure system. Warm air remains below 600m, while cold air is flowing in above 700m; the mountain is covered in dense fog. All summit gates will remain closed until visibility improves. Follow the instructions of the ski patrol. Southeasterly winds are expected to strengthen as the pressure gradient steepens.
Based on observations, the snowpack is consolidated and stable; the overall avalanche risk is low. Do not enter strictly prohibited areas such as Ambetsu, Haru-no-taki, and Yunosawa in search of fresh tracks. Please respect the Niseko Rules. This information is issued to prevent accidents outside the resort boundaries. Many dangers besides avalanches lurk in the mountains, such as falling into cracks or colliding with trees. Always remain cautious. The groomed runs are in excellent condition. It is better to stay on the groomers until the fog clears. Flat light is making it difficult to see bumps on the slopes. Be cautious. To repeat: do not duck the ropes carelessly. Others will follow your lead, which will eventually trigger an accident. We hope there are no serious injuries today.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 3cm
Base: 2cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 312cm (-3cm change since yesterday)
Base: 202cm (-8cm 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: ?cm
Base: ?cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 395cm
Base: 175cm
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 (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: 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 Wednesday 18th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 798cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 74 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 129cm 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.