Niseko Now: Saturday 21st February 2026
- Feb 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 819cm
Good morning from Niseko.
I don't have any fresh snowfall to report this morning and the weekend is stating with some fairly overcast kind of skies. It's quite bright in places with signs of the sun possibly breaking through.
Much of Japan looks set to 'enjoy' (that seems the wrong word) a sunny and very warm weekend.
Up here we might not get much of the sunny bit, but it will be relatively warm and I could definitely notice that on my early morning walk today. It was almost... toasty! (Relatively, of course).
Tomorrow will be the peak of the warm blip with a return to somewhat colder conditions from Monday.
Some fresh snow? Hmmmm, maybe, but I wouldn't expect much.
Monday is a national holiday in Japan, the Emperor’s Birthday indeed, and so a few extra locals may venture into the Niseko zone this long weekend.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -1℃, no new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m: -2.8℃, W1.8m/s, no new snow calm. Annupuri 1100m: -4.2℃, W5.5m/s. Village 1000m: -3.1℃, WSW5.1m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -3.6℃, N2.1m/s. Hanazono 800m: -0.4℃, N3.0m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape SW4m/s, Kamui Cape SW22m/s, 1011hPa, wave 1.6m.
We have a Pacific high pressure system to the west and strong southerly winds at higher elevations. No new snowfall. The peak gates opened at 10:00 AM yesterday and 3,000 people skied the mountain with no major accidents. Southwest winds are expected to strengthen above 1100m on the east side of the mountain. Gate opening will depend on lift operation. If you are heading towards Goshiki from the peak, it’s recommended to cut out left from the North Face early, at around 1200m, then head west toward Chinpoko Rock. Then from there, down to Goshiki. Below that elevation, you’ll have to traverse two steep streams, both of which pose a risk of large-scale avalanches. Always cross streams 1 by 1. While this morning’s observations indicated a low avalanche risk, there’s always the risk of avalanches from deeper weak layers, known as secondary avalanches. Group leaders and guides should be careful; the mountain is rough from yesterday’s tracks. Never enter the restricted areas of Anbetsu, Haru no Taki or Yu no Sawa in search of fresh snow. Even if you get lucky, others could follow and have an accident. Like the frequent recent avalanches occurring in Europe, blizzards often cause avalanches in Niseko. Here, risk assessment is based on the structural integrity of snowdrifts created by blizzards. Avalanches are natural phenomena and accidents do not occur without people. Have a nice day.
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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: 310cm
Base: 225cm
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: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 390cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 145cm (-5cm 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 (no change since yesterday)
Base: 200cm (-13cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
8 of 8 lifts
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 (no 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 Saturday 21st 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.