Niseko Now: Thursday 19th February 2026
- Feb 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 18cm
Snowfall at base this season 816cm
Good morning from Niseko.
While strong wind is causing lots of lifts to be on hold at the start of the day - only a handful of base lifts are starting up at 8:30am - we do have a nice amount of fresh snow, largely coming from later yesterday and overnight.
It is one of those days when snowfall observations will very likely differ greatly as the wind is a factor blowing it around.
This is well weird. As I prepare this report, on the official Niseko United website, Hanazono, Hirafu and Annupuri ski areas are all reporting 0cm of fresh snowfall. At the same time, Niseko Village is reporting 25cm! Regular readers of this report and that official 'sauce' will know how basically Niseko Village usually reports (or doesn't report as is the case) 0cm every day, even when there is clearly lots of fresh snow. Very strange that all of a sudden we get 25cm on a day when the other ski areas are showing nothing.
I don't know what is happening with all that. Still, it probably takes the reported total snowfall of the season at Niseko Village ski area up to about 30cm! :)
Anyway, enough about number nerdiness. There's snow out there. We should enjoy it. Pesky wind interference aside, of course.
Heads up. I need to see to some personal stuff early tomorrow morning and so I will be later with my report. Gomen, ne.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -5°C, 30cm snowfall, heavy wind-affected snow. Moiwa 800m: -8.1°C, NNW 17m/s (gusts 30m/s), observation not possible. Annupuri 1100m: -10.3°C, WNW 14.4m/s. Niseko Village 1000m: -9.0°C, NNW 17.9m/s. Hirafu Hanazono: -8.7°C, N 16.2m/s. Hanazono 800m: -7.5°C, N 11.9m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape: NNW 17m/s (27m/s at 22:00 last night). Kamui Cape: N16m/s, 1010hPa, 5.0m waves.
A strong winter pressure pattern has set in following the passage of the low-pressure system. Since 22:00 last night, the pressure gradient has tightened, bringing blizzard conditions to both the sea and the mountains, with wave heights reaching 5m. A large amount of high-density, heavy wind-packed snow has accumulated, making the pack highly susceptible to fractures along lines of weakness regardless of layering. The avalanche risk for the Niseko range and surrounding mountains is EXTREMELY HIGH. All gates will remain closed. Follow the instructions of the ski patrol. Heavy wind-affected snow can trigger avalanches even within the tree line; use extreme caution touring Nitonupuri. Most avalanche accidents in Niseko occur during blizzards accompanied by heavy snowfall. Do not over-rely on pit-check risk assessments. The structural fragility of the wind-packed slabs causes avalanches, regardless of the presence of specific layers. While the pressure gradient will loosen in the afternoon and slabs will begin to consolidate, however, looking at the snowfall transition, the risk remains high until late tonight. Do not duck the ropes or enter strictly prohibited areas. It is best to stay within the resort boundaries today. The snow is deep and heavy. Watch out for falls and tree collisions. The avalanche risk on the Osawa cornice face at 1000m is extremely high. Do not stay at the bottom of gullies; avalanches run through them. This information is issued for the safety of all resort users. Please respect the Niseko Rules.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm (silly)
Base: 0cm (wrong)
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: 0cm huh?
Base: 0cm hmmmm
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 Thursday 19th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 816cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 75 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 147cm reported on 17 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.