Niseko Now: Wednesday 1st April 2020
- Apr 1, 2020
- 5 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 718cm
Posted on Wednesday 1st April 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
It was a warm one yesterday. Lovely too.
There is more thin cloud around this morning but some light blue sky on show and it should be another mild day.
And here's something that I prepared earlier...
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The 2019-2020 season so far: through until the end of March 2020
It’s the start of another month and so that means that it is time for me to look back on March 2020 and the statistics for the season so far.
As always, the usual up-front notes. (Shamelessly copied from last month):
I take my measurements from close to the base of the Niseko Grand Hirafu area of our mountain. There is usually more snow at higher elevations; many locals often say there’s often ‘about 1.5 times the amount’ that there is at base. And often that seems reasonable. It is impossible for me to take measurements from the top of the mountain every morning for all sorts of practical reasons. The observed snowfall numbers on these Niseko Now reports over the years can all be compared like-for-like, because they are my observations and are coming from the same place each season. And it goes without saying that there's much more to the story than just bare numbers; they may be interesting, but they are not the complete picture. For a more complete idea of the season, please read the reports for each day.
OK so here goes.
This is how much snowfall I have measured during the month of March over the last eight winter seasons:
March 2020: 59cm
March 2019: 45cm
March 2018: 49cm
March 2017: 83cm
March 2016: 109cm
March 2015: 139cm
March 2014: 113cm
March 2013: 164cm
Not huge numbers but we beat the previous two months this year. Hurray! (I’ll take the win).
I was able to record some snowfall on 12 of the 31 days in March 2020. Most of those were in the first half of the month, perhaps as you might expect with spring fast approaching. Having said that, the most over one 24-hour period was on the 17th March when I measured 10cm down at base.
Now on to the ‘season to date’ numbers, from the beginning of this season up until 31st March 2020:
2019/2020 season up to end of March 2020: 718cm
2018/2019 season up to end of March 2019: 945cm
2017/2018 season up to end of March 2018: 1,247cm
2016/2017 season up to end of March 2017: 688cm
2015/2016 season up to end of March 2016: 986cm
2014/2015 season up to end of March 2015: 1,141cm
2013/2014 season up to end of March 2014: 1,150cm
2012/2013 season up to end of March 2013: 1,459cm
There is no significant change of note to the ongoing commentary of the season really.
There has been less snow than we usually expect, but we have fared (much) better than lots of Japan.
I have met more than a few people out on the lifts this season who had holidays planned elsewhere in Japan and then decided to change and come up here to the better snow conditions.
The coronavirus topic and associated mess that the world increasingly finds itself in has of course become the unavoidable topic of March 2020. The Hokkaido government ‘state of emergency’ came and went... all the while, the ski resorts remained open. And of course, they still are. With the ramped up controls on people coming over from overseas, Niseko has become abnormally quiet. Which has been very nice for some people who have been able to enjoy some uncharacteristically quiet slopes, and giving things a rather different feel from usual.
And I must admit, with the knowledge that people are not well and close to home some of my own family in other countries are in ‘lockdown’, it feels rather strange to be sitting down each morning posting weather reports from a ski resort. Of course, we (meaning this website) certainly do not wish to be in any way insensitive. We are here to document the season from the start until the end and this is undoubtedly part of that story, so we feel it is appropriate to document the full season.
Most of you reading this probably aren’t here in Niseko, but there are still many people reading the reports every morning. (Hi! Thanks!)
There is another 5 weeks left of the (planned) ski season here in Niseko. We usually get a bit of snow down to base, with perhaps a bit more on the mountain. Here’s my observed base numbers from previous Aprils.
April 2019: 6cm
April 2018: 13cm
April 2017: 0cm
April 2016: 6cm
April 2015: 3cm
April 2014: 13cm
April 2013: 32cm
And as always, the Japan Meteorological Agency statistics from their observation station in Kutchan town for the month of March over the last eight years:
March 2020: 75cm
March 2019: 59cm
March 2018: 59cm
March 2017: 90cm
March 2016: 125cm
March 2015: 141cm
March 2014: 118cm
March 2013: 124cm
The JMA numbers for the season so far up until the end of March shape up like this:
2019/2020 season up to end of March 2020: 684cm
2018/2019 season up to end of February 2019: 867cm
2017/2018 season up to end of February 2018: 1,013cm
2016/2017 season up to end of February 2017: 831cm
2015/2016 season up to end of February 2016: 823cm
2014/2015 season up to end of February 2015: 966cm
2013/2014 season up to end of February 2014: 922cm
2012/2013 season up to end of February 2013: 1,024cm
I’ll make on final season recap once it is all over.
If that all goes to plan, it will be on 6th May!
Until then, see you every morning.
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Planned ski resort operation information: Wednesday 1st April 2020
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 295cm
- Base: 65cm
The following lifts are scheduled to be operating:
- Ace Family quad
- Ace Number 2 quad (Center four)
- Hirafu Gondola
- Holiday Number 1 pair
- King Number 3 quad
- King Number 4
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 170cm
- Base: 80cm
The following lifts are scheduled to be operating:
- Annupuri Gondola
- Dream Number 1 quad
- Jumbo Number 1 quad
- Jumbo Number 4 pair
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 170cm
- Base: 60cm
The following lifts are scheduled to be operating:
- Niseko Gondola
- Wonderland Chair
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- The Niseko HANAZONO area is now closed for the season.
- Night time floodlit operations have closed for the season.
Niseko Now 2019-2020 season |
Data as of Wednesday 1st April 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 718cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 82 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 33cm (21st January) November 2019 snowfall 85cm reported on 10 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm reported on 21 days January 2020 snowfall 224cm reported on 20 days February 2020 snowfall 143cm reported on 19 days March 2020 snowfall 59cm reported on 12 days April 2020 snowfall 0cm |
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.