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Niseko Now: Tuesday 22nd March 2022

  • Mar 22, 2022
  • 4 min read

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido


New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 1122cm

Posted on Tuesday 22nd March 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here


What can best be described as a dusting of snow to report to you this morning. I can just about justify 1cm being assigned to this report.


After that day of rather changeable weather yesterday, as the ski lifts prepare to get going for the day it is cloudy but, once again, quite bright in places - and some (very) light snow falling in some places. We may just get a bit more snow during the day today, but from tomorrow that is going to be getting much less likely. And it is going to start warming up once again, especially from Friday.


I wonder if this is going to be the last snow of the season. (Don't tell Nature, but I'm trying to dare 'it' into providing us with more. It's just so hard to let go of winter.)


Wind might be an issue today, unfortunately, and at the start of the morning the top lifts are on hold. Top Hanazono lift is operating at reduced speed. Pesky, indeed.


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Niseko Avalanche Report


Moiwa base: -3℃, calm, light snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -4.6℃, WSW2.8m/s. Annupuri 1150m: -7.4℃, W8.2m/s. Hirafu 1000m: -7.2℃, S6.7m/s. 1250m: -9℃, W12m/s, snowfall at night and snowdrifts have developed. Coastal data Benkei cape: W12m/s, Kamui cape: SW19m/s, 1017hPa, 1.2m waves.


People regularly high-traversing from gate 5 to Higashi-One should consider the fact that those traverses will eventually be the cause of a serious accident. The same thing applies to gate 8. One track will lead many others to follow it, and increase the chances of accident occurrences. Past accidents in O-sawa and Higashi-One happened in the exact same circumstances. Gates aren’t open because it’s safe out there. There is never going to be complete safety. People who repeatedly traverse from the lower gates when the peak gates aren’t open must be responsible for the outcome of their acts. Peak gates will open when the wind calms down. Please respect the ski patrol’s decisions. Large scale glide avalanche risk is rising in the main valleys. Avoid leaving tracks at the bottom of these terrains.


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Planned ski area operations: Tuesday 22nd March 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).


Niseko Grand Hirafu


Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 415cm (no change)

- Base: 200cm (no change)


Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 5cm

- Base: 5cm


Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):

- Ace Family quad

- Ace Number 2 Center Four quad

- Hirafu Gondola

- King Number 3 quad

- King Number 4

- Swinging Monkey


Planned season:

- Night skiing has finished for the season

- Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to be open until Thursday 5th May


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Niseko HANAZONO Resort


Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 355cm (no change)

- Base: 235cm (-2cm)


Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 5cm

- Base: 5cm


Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):

- Hanazono Number 1

- Hanazono Number 2 quad

- Hanazono Number 3 quad

- Hanazono Symphony Gondola


Planned season:

- Night skiing has finished for the season

- Niseko HANAZONO plans to be open until Sunday 3rd April


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Niseko Annupuri


Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 360cm (no change)

- Base: 200cm (no change)


Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 0cm

- Base: 0cm


Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):

- Annupuri Gondola

- Dream Number 1 quad

- Jumbo Number 1 quad

- Jumbo Number 2 pair

- Jumbo Number 4 pair


Planned season:

- Night skiing has finished for the season

- Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May


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Niseko Village


Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):

- Peak: 300cm

- Base: 200cm


Planned lift operations (subject to weather conditions):

- Niseko Gondola

- Village Express

- Community Chair [* open for night skiing until 7:00pm]

- Banzai Chair

- Wonderland Chair


Planned season:

- Night skiing has finished for the season

- Niseko Village plans to be open until Sunday 3rd April



Niseko Now 2021-2022 season

Data as of Tuesday 22nd March 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 1122cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 96 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (23rd December and 22nd February) 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 337cm reported on 25 days March 2022 snowfall 68cm reported on 12 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.


SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for.



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