Niseko Now: Tuesday 20th January 2015
- Jan 20, 2015
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 15cm
Snowfall at base this season 758cm
Posted on Tuesday 20th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
A cold start to the morning here in Hirafu.
15cm of fresh on the ground but it's not snowing just right now.
In fact, once again there's a bit of sun peeping through the clouds from time to time.
There's a general heavy snow warning out for the area though, so the clouds coming in from the north are expected to bring some more snow with them... especially later on today.
Stronger winds are expected as well later on, so get wrapped up and fingers crossed that they don't mess with the lifts.
Forecasts says a good chance of some sunshine tomorrow but a return to snowy conditions sometime on Thursday.
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Time for a quick look at some numbers and how January is stacking up.
Last season as of the end of January this is what I observed in my reports:
461cm snowfall in January 2014
859cm snowfall since the beginning of the season
Today, the same numbers are:
209cm snowfall in January 2015 (up until 20th)
758cm snowfall since the beginning of the season (up until 20th)
Still got over 10 days left, so let's see how that goes. Of course, while these are my observations and from the same place, it's not meant to be a scientific study! Just my humble and honest observations.
JMA recorded 317cm in the month of January 2014 in Kutchan town; today that number is on 162cm.
We'll revist all of those at the end of the month.
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Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day
Niseko Grand Hirafu:
Looks set to be open as planned this morning.
'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am).
Niseko Hanazono:
Looks set to be open as planned this morning.
Niseko Village:
Looks set to be open as planned this morning.
'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am).
Niseko Annupuri:
Looks set to be open as planned this morning.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base 6am: -7C, 20cm of crushed crystal snow in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: WNW15m/s, -13C, 30cm of snowfall with development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: NW20m/s, -13C, large development of snowdrifts. Hirafu peak ridge: NNW20m/s, -15C, extensive development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW20m/s, Kamui cape W11m/s, 1012hPa, 2.3m waves.
The wind & snowfall picked up from 3am and made snowdrifts develop drastically around cornice slopes and open steep slopes above 800m. The avalanche risk is rising accordingly and the peak gates will be closed. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Many accidents occur in poor weather. Niseko community respects the freedom of skiers/snowboarders, but is also concerned about their safety. The Niseko Rules have been determined based on numerous past accidents and it is all locals’ and visitors’ duty to follow those Rules; regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, experience or knowledge level. Wouldn’t it be foolish prejudice to be respecting western Rules but disregarding Local Rules? The resort welcomes all visitors, but will take a firm stand against violators. Accommodations should also be more concerned about the situation, as it would lead to the detriment of their reputation. The snow in the trees is in good shape. Be respectful and ride with good sense to the local community.
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Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing:
Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 360cm
Base - 150cm
Niseko Village:
Top - 270cm
Base - 180cm
Niseko Annupuri:
Top - 240cm
Base - 180cm
Niseko Now 2014-2015 season |
Data as of Tuesday 20th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 758cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 46 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 209cm 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.