Niseko Now: Thursday 1st February 2018
- Feb 1, 2018
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 13cm
Snowfall at base this season 912cm
Posted on Thursday 1st February 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
February. Is it really February already? Why does winter always seem to fly by so very fast. It's not fair!
Still, when you have conditions like we had yesterday, all worries seem to go away. Although having said that I did hear more than a few people struggling with all the fresh snow, saying that there was 'too much' and it was 'too deep' - we'll have none of that talk here, please!
The snowfall eased off in the afternoon yesterday. The sun made a special appearance and even Mt Yotei appeared for a cameo too. Everyone wanted in, and rightly so as conditions were excellent.
This morning I have a total of 13cm observed fresh snowfall to add to my numbers.
We are not expecting the early morning snow clouds to remain over us for long, and indeed even now some blue sky is starting to appear and the sun shining through in some places. So it may well clear up and be a fine day weather-wise.
Sunshine is lined up for tomorrow too with the next decent snowfall due later on Saturday and into Sunday.
Hopefully all the top gates might get to open this morning.
Do take care out there - 'Always stay humble in the mountains' (below report; I like that) - be prepared & have tons of fun.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 5am: -9℃, 10cm, calm. Moiwa 800m: -7.3℃, W0.4m/s, moderate snowdrift development at night. Annupuri 1150m: -11℃, westerly wind & snow with gusts, 20cm snowfall with snowdrifts development. Hirafu 1250m: -13℃, mild wind, 20cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW9m/s, Kamui cape N3m/s, 1024hPa, 0.9m waves.
The isobars are spreading out and the newly grown snowdrifts are starting to stabilize. No notable weakness has been observed during the morning pressure test. The avalanche risk is relatively low this morning.
Peak gates are expected to open. Please talk to the patrols at the gates and be prepared for out of bounds conditions.
Better not stimulate cornices, knolls and steep terrains. The stabilization of higher elevation slopes is delayed and risks of large scale slides are still considerable under the current conditions. Stay away from the Backbowl sidewalls and Higashi-One cornice slopes. Also, avoid skiing the bottom of the valleys even if you are in lower elevation. Avalanches that start higher will strike everything under it.
Waist deep powder conditions today. Snowboarders should better carry snowshoes and poles, skiers better use a leashes. Beware of hidden cracks in the snowpack. This information is issued for the safety of all resort users. Be conscious that knowledge and experience can be useless sometimes. Always stay humble in the mountains. Precaution is crucial to come back safe.
Fantastic conditions today, enjoy :)
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Thursday 1st February 2018
Resort specific information (operations subject to change):
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts (apart from King Number 2) should be operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 475cm
- Base: 240cm
Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts should be operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 360cm
- Base: 250cm
Niseko Village
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts apart from the Country Road Chair lift should be operating
- 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola) - on February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required.
Official snow depth:
- Top: 350cm
- Base: 220cm
Niseko Now 2017-2018 season |
Data as of Friday 1st February 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 912cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 65 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (31st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 305cm reported on 26 days February 2018 snowfall 13cm reported on 1 day |
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.