Niseko Now: Monday 21st February 2022
- Feb 21, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 20cm
Snowfall at base this season 955cm
Posted on Monday 21st February 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Good morning and it's a very wild start to the week.
Heavy winds make it really difficult to say actually how much snow has fallen since the last report. There's places where there's probably 50cm and more, but that's (surely) because of the wind. My trusted measuring point, and a few other check points that I usually look at as backup, bring me believe that 20cm is representative.
The biggest feature of the morning is the wind that is blowing the snow around. Hopefully the wind will become less severe later on, but we are expecting further snowfall for at least a few more days.
Visibility is very low, avalanche rise is high.
Even if any ski lifts get to open this morning (at the moment just a few lower lifts are indicated as possibly opening), I would say it is one of those day for learning new toast recipes or something less interesting than that. It doesn't feel safe out there.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base: -6.5℃, blizzard, heavy snowfall, poor visibility, 50cm snow drift development. Moiwa800m: -8.5℃, WNW16.5m/s. Annupuri1150m: -11.2℃, WNW1.5m/s(max 35). Hirafu1250m: n/a. Coastal data Benkei cape: NW25m/s, Kamui cape: NW22m/s, 995hPa, 5.2m waves.
Heavy storm conditions with snowdrift development at all levels. From data and observation, below 800m under lift lines and on course edges surface avalanches with over 50cm fractures are expected to occur. On Niseko and surrounding mountains the avalanche risk is very high. Regardless of underlying layers, snowdrifts developed during strong winds are unstable and are likely to collapse on weak lines. Be careful, avalanches are likely even in steep forested areas like Nitonupuri. Roads are also in white out conditions today. If you have to drive, go slowly and use your hazard lights, but better to stay in. This is a rare deep low pressure, with 12 isobar lines over Hokkaido.
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Planned ski area operations: Monday 21st February 2022
The below snow depth and snowfall data is manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day (nature might intervene).
*** STRONG WINDS AFFECTING OPERATIONS THIS MORNING ***
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 405cm (no change)
- Base: 215cm (no change)
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: ?cm
- Base: ?cm
Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):
- Ace Family quad
- Ace Number 2 Center Four quad [* open for night skiing until 7:00pm]
- Hirafu Gondola
- King Number 3 quad
- King Number 4
- Swinging Monkey
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 345cm (-)
- Base: 250cm (-)
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: ?cm
- Base: ?cm
Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):
- Hanazono Number 1
- Hanazono Number 2 quad
- Hanazono Number 3 quad
- Hanazono Symphony Gondola [* open for night skiing until 7:00pm]
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 320cm (no change)
- Base: 220cm (no change)
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 10cm
- Base: 10cm
Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):
- Annupuri Gondola
- Dream Number 1 quad
- Jumbo Number 1 quad [* open for night skiing until 7:30pm]
- Jumbo Number 2 pair
- Jumbo Number 4 pair
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 290cm
- Base: 210cm
Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):
- Niseko Gondola
- Village Express
- Community Chair [* open for night skiing until 7:00pm]
- Banzai Chair
- Wonderland Chair
Niseko Now 2021-2022 season |
Data as of Monday 21st February 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 955cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 77 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (23rd December) November 2021 snowfall 85cm reported on 6 days December 2021 snowfall 307cm reported on 23 days January 2022 snowfall 325cm reported on 30 days February 2022 snowfall 238cm 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.