Niseko Now: Saturday 20th December 2025
- Dec 20, 2025
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 172cm
A chilled out kind of feel to proceedings early on this morning.
Early morning rain, but right now we have blue sky with pleasant shades of blue, the sun doing its thing and a collection of clouds giving us some shadows. It's as if the brightness/contrast control hasn't been turned up yet. I might not be describing that very effectively!
Anyway... it is noticeably warmer.
There is a southerly wind but it does not seem likely to affect lifts.
Over at Annupuri the Jumbo Number 3 lift is now open.
We're waiting for those top lifts to open up. No doubt we need more snow for that to happen. And for that we need it to be colder.
As I am about to post this report just after 8:30am, it feels like it is clouding over somewhat and there is less sun... the images below are from around 8:10am.
(It might rain later?)
I must admit to being a bit confused with the weather this morning...
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 5am: +5℃, no rain or snow, snowmelt. Mikaeri 800m: +4.3℃, SW7.1m/s, no new snow, good visibility. Hirafu 1000m: +0.4℃, ENE2.5m/s. Hanazono 800m: -3.9℃, 5.2m/s direction n/a. Coastal Data- Benkei Cape NW10m/s, Kamui Cape SW16m/s, 1017hPa, 1.4m waves.
Above 1,000 m: temperatures are below freezing, while below 800 m temperatures are above freezing, resulting in differing snow conditions by elevation. Beware of heavy, block-type avalanches on south-facing steep slopes, steep sidewalls along runs, and under lift lines. Do not duck ropes to enter these areas or other restricted areas. The influx of warm air will continue tomorrow. Creek levels have risen and snow bridges are more likely to collapse. The water is cold. Snow is coming off the roofs, make sure children are playing in safe areas. The light is weak, making it difficult to see undulations in the slopes. Beware losing control. All we can do now is wait. Live a comfortable day suited to the conditions. Pay attention to changes in the weather. Weather maps don’t lie.
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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: 130cm (-15cm change since yesterday)
Base: 72cm (-3cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
4 of 4 lifts
Gondola until 7:00pm
Planned open courses:
All main runs apart from Legend of Shinya (and Hanazono Park)
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 195cm (-15cm change since yesterday)
Base: 35cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola
Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm)
Ace Number 3 pair
King Gondola
King Number 3 six
Swinging Monkey
Planned open courses:
Family
Sennoki
Alpen
Super
Beginners access
Green
Shirakaba
Center
Kogen
Dai-ni no kabe
Kokutai
Holiday
Rinkan
Jumbo
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 125cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 60cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 8 lifts
Niseko Gondola
Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm)
Village Express (until 7:00pm)
Community Chair
Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm)
Morino Chair
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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: 90cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 60cm (-20cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
5 of 6 lifts
Annupuri gondola
Dream Number 1 quad (until 7:00pm)
Jumbo Number 1 quad
Jumbo Number 2 pair
Jumbo Number 3 pair
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Planned lift operations:
3 of 3 lifts
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Saturday 20th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 172cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 143cm 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.