Niseko Now: Friday 22nd December 2023
- Dec 22, 2023
- 5 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 18cm
Snowfall at base this season 285cm
Posted on Friday 22nd December 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Around the mountain there's another mixed bunch of (weather) conditions as of 8:15am. It's snowing in places. The sun is shining through the clouds in others. Visibility looks varied too. So I'm not quite sure which graphic icon to choose, hmmmm.
It's nice and cold though, and I have another 18cm of measured fresh snowfall to report since yesterday (when weather conditions were changeable during the day). Forecasts have more snow lined up too.
This all feels much more normal.
The whole mountain is not yet open, including the top lifts and gates, but more is gradually becoming available.
Good job too, as there are a lot of people around now, all looking to explore and enjoy it. And enjoy it, I am sure they will!
Santa will be here soon, too.
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Thank you very much to the many people (over 100 of you!) who took the time to send in comments yesterday after my 'responding to feedback' post. I really wasn't angling for supportive comments, honest. But I appreciate them, and I'm sorry I can't reply to them all individually.
Long-time readers will know this, but occasionally, I like to clear up things like that. After all, if some people are thinking those things, perhaps others are too. And, like I said yesterday, I smiled as I was putting that together. No crisis!
However, 'the internet' does seem to bring out the, how should I put it, unkind, rude, suspicious and ungrateful side of some people. In regular times, people are much quicker to send such comments than supportive or more constructive ones. Probably just the nature of the internet, but that does make me a bit sad. How about we just set the default to nice and friendly?
By the way, I particularly liked all the toast-related encouragement and suggestions sent in. It is now very clear that many of you would like a daily toast pic and other toast-related tips. Very funny!
This is worth repeating. Back in 1999, SnowJapan started as the hobby of one individual (still in charge). It was not part of a strategic business plan created to promote Japan/whatever and cash in on an emerging inbound market. And even with its current large scale and popularity, perhaps remarkably, it still isn't that kind of beast. (Good word, 'beast'!)
This site played a significant role in first letting the world know about skiing and snowboarding in Japan - literally decades before it started to become 'big money'. Nearly 25 years later, SnowJapan is still coming to you essentially as a labour-of-love project. And I include my attitude, regarding my input, in that same mindset. As long as I love doing it and can, I'll be here, and I'm pretty sure the same applies to the general operation of the site. (Hopefully we all continue to love doing it!)
Perhaps the unique nature of SnowJapan makes it too easy for people to misunderstand what it is and stands for. (Especially people who just don't read stuff).
Anyway, enough of that kind of talk!
I got me some skiing to do.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain Base 7am : -7C, 15cm wet snow over last 12hrs, cloudy, good visibility. Moiwa, Annupuri, Village : instrumentation not installed, no data. Mikaeri 764m: -10°, W10m/s, good visibility, snowdrift development. Hanazono 1000m: -12.3C, WNW3.1m/s. Hanazono 3 : -9.2C, NNW4.4m/s,(max 10m/s). Coastal data: Benkei Cape:NNW12m/s. Kamui Cape NW11m/s, 1015hPa, wave 2.6m.
A moderately strong NW wind above 800m blew overnight with accompanied snowdrift development. However the isobars started spreading apart early morning and the wind has dropped. The snow is wind effected, dense and heavy. On leeward snowdrift slopes at 1000m, expect rider stimulated surface avalanches with 60cm fracture faces. By careful under knolls, cornices and wind rippled 30 deg slopes. The snow below the wind ripples is similar to the bean paste in the middle, not sufficiently compacted, making it easy to break on weak lines in some areas. The bamboo is still thick below 1000m, making things difficult to ride. Also, if you take off your board, the snow will be waist deep and heavy. The snow is really nice. Be careful of sudden changes in weather. Have a nice day.
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Individual ski area information for Friday 22nd December 2023
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change.
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 35cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 210cm (no change since yesterday)
- Base: 90cm (+5cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Ace Family quad *
- Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four)
- Ace Number 3 pair
- Hirafu Gondola
- King Number 3 quad
- Swinging Monkey
Courses:
- Center
- Family
- Sennoki
- Alpen
- Beginners
- Kokutai
- Holiday
- Boyo
- Green
- Jumbo
- Rinkan
- Shirakaba
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 30cm
- Base: 23cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 140cm (+20cm since yesterday)
- Base: 95cm (+5cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Hanazono Number 1
- Hanazono Number 2 quad
- Hanazono Number 3 quad
- Hanazono Symphony Gondola *
Courses:
- All open apart from Legend of Shinya
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 20cm
- Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 130cm (+10cm since yesterday)
- Base: 100cm (+10cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Annupuri Gondola
- Dream Number 1 quad
- Jumbo quad *
- Jumbo Number 2 pair
Courses:
- Utopia
- Shirakaba
- Paradise
- Junior
- Possibly more?
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 145cm
- Base: 84cm
Lifts:
- Niseko Gondola
- Upper Village Gondola *
- Village Express *
- Community Chair
- Banzai Chair *
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Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024.
Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri.
Lifts marked with an asterix (*) are normally scheduled to operate for night skiing.
Niseko Now 2023-2024 season |
Data as of Friday 22nd December 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 285cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 26 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 31cm (18th December) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 165cm reported on 15 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.