Niseko Now: Friday 20th February 2026
- Feb 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 3cm
Snowfall at base this season 819cm
Good morning. Ended up that my personal stuff will be on a different day, so I'm here at my normal time.
It has been a lovely early morning with largely blue skies and some cloud.
Niseko Village this morning apparently enjoyed the novelty of updating some reported snowfall numbers yesterday morning, and are this morning reporting another 7cm at base and 18cm (really?) up top. This is on the same morning that Hanazono reports 3-5cm, Hirafu reports 5cm and Annupuri goes with 0cm.
Confusing! Bonkers!
All lifts seem to be opening as normal, apart from the King Number 6. I'm not sure what is going on there, perhaps just a temporary delay.
OK, so it looks like Japan is going to have a rather spring-like weekend with some unwelcome warmth expected, particularly on Sunday.
It does look like it will be much colder again come Monday, but forecasts currently don't show a whole lot of snow over the last week of the month.
My observed snowfall for February 2026 is currently at 150cm. We have had fairly consistent snow across reports in February, though numbers have been... modest. Anyway, I'll put my mind to the subject in my monthly roundup at the beginning of March.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -8℃, calm, trace new snow. Moiwa 800m: -8.3℃, WNW8.0m/s, cornice and snowdrift development eased, calm. Annupuri 1100m: -11.3℃, WNW9.3m/s. Village 1000m: -9.8℃, WNW4.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -11.0℃, N4.2m/s. Hanazono 800m: -6.7℃, N6.6m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape NW7m/s, Kamui Cape SW7m/s, 1018hPa, wave 0.7m.
We are under a high-pressure system, sea and mountain are calm. Wave heights are down from 5m to 1m and wind speeds are down from 30m/s to under 10m/s. There has been major cornice and snowdrift development and the terrain is above 800m has changed. Wind speeds have dropped to around 10m/s for about 12hrs now and snowdrifts are consolidating. The fractured surface at 800m is 50cm deep, with no weak layers and stable above that. Based on the morning observations and assessments, the avalanche risk has decreased, and the summit gates are expected to open today, although a little later than usual . Please follow patrol instructions.
Watch out for large avalanches from deeper layers on steep, open slopes on the southeast side at 1,100m. If one happens it will be large, so do not wait in the bottom of valleys or gullies. The snow in the forest is good, consistent with good resistance, but if you fall, it will be deep and heavy. Carry snowshoes or skins. Do not carelessly duck ropes to go off piste. Also, never enter strictly off limits areas. One stupid action can cause accidents. There is no safety in this sport. Don’t be overconfident, gain experience, and always be vigilant. The snow is excellent. Do you have a beacon on? Do you have a shovel or probe? Do you have a short rope? The snow changes daily. Have a great day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 5cm
Base: 3cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 310cm (-2cm change since yesterday)
Base: 225cm (+23cm 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: 5cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 400cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 150cm (-25cm change since yesterday)
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: 300cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 213cm (+18cm 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: 290cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 190cm (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 Friday 20th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 819cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 76 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 150cm reported on 18 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.