Niseko Now: Wednesday 18th March 2026
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 866cm
It has clouded over somewhat since earlier on this morning and we have a cloudy kind of hazy feel going on now. Still fairly bright, though.
'Evening skiing' (masquerading as 'night skiing') until this coming Sunday (22nd March).
Interesting to see snow forecast for our mountain on Friday! We'll have some of that, please.
I should be back to my normal time tomorrow. A few life things have had to be seen to the last few days.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -2°C, light wind, 3cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -5.7°C, WNW 1.7m/s 3-10cm snowfall. Annupuri 1100m: -7.6°C, WNW 4.3m/s, 5cm snowfall. Niseko Village 800m: -6.3°C, NNW 2.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -7.1°C, N 8.0m/s, gusts of wind at times, 3cm snowfall. Hanazono 800m: -4.7°C, ENE 3.4m/s, 3cm snowfall. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape: S 5m/s. Kamui Cape: NW 4m/s, 1020hPa, wave height unknown.
Cold air is moving in, bringing 3–10 cm of snowfall through the morning. Be cautious of shallow surface avalanches on open, steep slopes with significant elevation changes. Most gates are expected to open. Follow patrol’s instructions and seek guidance before going out of bounds; areas outside the designated ski runs are not part of the resort. Moiwa No. 6 gate will be closed due to the risk of full-depth avalanches in the Moaiwa Bowl, the lower part of Back Bowl, and slopes below 800 meters in elevation. Do not duck the ropes to go off-piste. The Niseko Rules were established to prevent accidents outside the ski resort’s designated courses, based on past experiences of frequent accidents. Users must be aware that these rules exist and that they have an obligation to follow them. The ski resort is also responsible for rope monitoring and gate management. Areas outside the ski resort are national or prefectural forests, and landowners such as the national and prefectural governments are not liable for accidents occurring outside the resort. Since out of bounds skiing is permitted, the ski resort bears significant responsibility. Cracks are hidden beneath fresh snow. Cracks are not visible from above. Caution. As temperatures rise before noon, snow below 700 meters in elevation becomes unstable. Be careful of falls and collisions. Do not casually take beginners off-piste. While a beacon is not mandatory, carrying one is recommended. Do not forget your probe, rope, shovel, and short rope.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 290cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 170cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Gondola until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 5cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 355cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 90cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 255cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 145cm (-8cm change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair until 7:00pm
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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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: 270cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 130cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned night lift operations:
Jumbo Number 1 quad until 7:30pm
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Moiwa has a planned closing date of Sunday 5th April.
Asahigaoka ski area (near Kutchan Station) closed on 8th March.
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Wednesday 18th March 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 866cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 88 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 154cm reported on 19 days March 2026 snowfall 43cm reported on 11 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.