Niseko Now: Tuesday 23rd December 2014
- Dec 23, 2014
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 30cm
Snowfall at base this season 394cm
Posted on Tuesday 23rd December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Lots of light fresh snow to report again this morning from the Niseko area - 30cm outside my place - which should make for excellent conditions today.
It's not quite as cold this morning as it was yesterday, but still right down there in negative numbers and -6 degrees here in the village base area.
It's not quite as windy either, and lifts should be less affected this morning. Yesterday as conditions improved slightly most of the lifts seemed to be operating.
The peak lifts and gates are of course still not open. No doubt there's a lot of people keeping their eyes on that situation and I can imagine the rush that will happen when they do open. Be sure to check out the Avalanche Report below for more information.
Niseko continues to getting busier. Christmas might not be a major holiday for Japanese, but it is of course with lots of other folk and many want to spend their holidays here in Niseko. As you would.
It's worth adding that 23rd December (ie. today) is actually a national holiday here in Japan. It's the Emperors Birthday, so... happy birthday!
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Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day
Niseko Grand Hirafu:
Niseko Grand Hirafu looks set to start the day as planned.
Niseko Hanazono:
Niseko Hanazono looks set to start the day as planned.
Niseko Village:
Niseko Gondola running at reduced speed.
Niseko Annupuri:
Annupuri Gondola not operating due to wind conditions.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base:-10C, 25cm of crystal snow. Moiwa 600m: -13C, 30cm of fresh in 12 hours. Annupuri 1150m: -14C, W16m/s, 25cm of fresh. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW15m/s, Kamui cape W11m/s, 1007hPa and 2.6m waves.
The atmospheric pressure gradient is shelving, snowdrift development around 800m is slowing down and the snowpack is stabilizing. However, avalanche risk is still high especially in leeward 1100m slopes. The avalanche control in Mizuno no sawa (Niseko Village) has started yesterday and a 40cm slab avalanche from Dec 20th layer running all the way down to the bottom has been reported from the ski patrol. Stay away from south facing strictly off-limits areas.
Peak lifts are scheduled to open as the wind calms down, but peak gates are yet to open. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Never duck ropes to step out of bounds. The snow in the trees is even better than yesterday, but beware of branches and bushes lurking just underneath the surface. Have a nice day.
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Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing:
Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 250cm
Base - 105cm
Niseko Village:
Top - 160cm
Base - 120cm
Niseko Annupuri:
Top - 140cm
Base - 110cm
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Lifts open for night skiing (planned):
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift.
There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area.
Niseko Village
Community Chair and Banzai Chair
Niseko Annupuri
Jumbo Number 1 Quad
Niseko Now 2014-2015 season |
Data as of Tuesday 23rd December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 394cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 25 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 364cm reported on 20 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.