Niseko Now: Thursday 19th December 2024
- Dec 19, 2024
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 3cm
Snowfall at base this season 247cm
Posted on Thursday 19th December 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Good morning from Niseko.
And what a lovely morning it was yesterday with some bright blue skies and sunshine. Later in the day there was some light snow falling.
We start this morning with a lot of cloud around. There's some light snow falling in places, and some blue sky on show in others. So a mixed bunch of weather going on at the start of the day.
Modest snowfall is on forecasts today with a break currently showing for tomorrow and Saturday when it should be nice and sunny again; and then back to the snow early week.
I generally try to avoid blurb and marketing stuff, but yesterday I noticed some blurb that Hanazono had posted:
"Wrapped in fresh snow, night skiing is pure bliss".
Indeed, night skiing can be amazing. So, hey, how about keeping the lights on and lifts moving beyond 7pm, so we can properly enjoy this bliss for longer? It sounds like the makings of a cunning plan to me!
(OK I'll shut up about the night thing now).
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base -6℃, 10cm snowfall in 12h, good visibility and calm weather. Moiwa 800m: -7.4℃, W1.5m/s, 10cm snowfall, no slab development or wind ripples. Mikaeri 750m: -8℃, S1.1m/s, 220cm snowpack, 500m visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW11m/s, Kamui cape WSW9m/s, 1017hPa, 1.1m waves.
There are no notable snow-clouds on the Sea of Japan and the waves are small. Slabs development has stopped for now. The snowpack has reached 250cm at cornice slopes around 900m elevation. There were also no notable fractures observed in the snowpack while pressure testing with the snow-cat. Assessing all data and snowfall transitions, the overall avalanche risk is small. The preparation of the upper slopes in the resorts are delayed. Please refrain from crossing boundary ropes to access out of bounds. Ducking ropes is strictly prohibited by the Niseko Rules. The mountain condition is improving daily, but bushes are still thick below 700m. Be well prepared if you’re planning to go backcountry touring. The snow in leeward slopes above 1000m is in good shape, but avoid dropping into the same slope simultaneously, traversing steep slopes and resting at the bottom of a gully to minimize the risk of accidents. The snow in Niseko contains a moderate amount of moisture even in cold temps due to the proximity of the Sea and provides good rebound, and that is what makes Niseko’s snow somewhat special. The snowpack condition is ever-changing. Many of the avalanche accidents are triggered when windload slabs are developing in a storm. Better not underestimate the risk by overestimating your knowledge and skills, always remain humble in the Nature and stay vigilant. Awesome conditions today. Enjoy.
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Individual ski area information for Thursday 19th December 2024
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing.
Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 14cm
Base: 12cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 180cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 148cm (-12cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
All four lifts scheduled to be operating
Courses:
All courses scheduled to be open
Gondola open until 7:00pm
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 15cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 220cm (-10cm since yesterday)
Base: 120cm (-10cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
Ace Family quad (open until 7:00pm)
Ace Gondola (open until 7:00pm)
Ace Number 3 pair
King Gondola (open until 7:00pm)
King Holiday pair (open until 7:00pm)
King Number 3 quad
Swinging Monkey
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 160cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 120cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Lifts:
Niseko Gondola
Upper Village Gondola (open until 7:00pm)
Village Express (open until 7:30pm)
Community Chair
Banzai Chair (open for night skiing until 7:30pm)
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 140cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts:
Annupuri Gondola
Dream Number 1 quad
Jumbo Number 1 quad (open until 7:30pm)
Jumbo Number 2 pair
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Lifts:
Number 1 pair lift
Number 2 pair lift
Quad lift
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Night skiing
Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 23rd March 2025.
Niseko Now 2024-2025 season |
Data as of Thursday 19th December 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 247cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 24 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (16th December) November 2024 snowfall 38cm reported on 8 days December 2024 snowfall 209cm 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.