Niseko Now: Monday 23rd January 2023
- Jan 23, 2023
- 6 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 5cm
Snowfall at base this season 566cm
Posted on Monday 23rd January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
It's not super clear and bright as I write this, but the sun is shining through in places and visibility is fine. Perhaps it will get clearer as the morning goes on. It is nice and cold again, so it should be a good morning.
I have measured 5cm of fresh snowfall since my last report, with that all coming in yesterday. Ski areas are reporting more than that so apparently there was more higher up. Still, snorkels are not required just yet.
Forecasts are all still showing some very cold temperatures and snow across the next week. Tomorrow looks like it should be the starting point for all of that!
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Last week someone wrote in asking about snow depth numbers and snowfall, wondering why they sometimes seem odd and even conflicting. It is a good question. It is an issue I often think about as I check all the information every morning for this report.
So, first of all, it is important to know that the only original number (ie. created by me) on this report is my observed snowfall number. That is how much snow I have observed since the previous report, as seen with my own eyes. In today's report, that number is 5cm.
All the other numbers in this report originate from the ski areas. I check with official ski areas websites every morning. After having some toast, I usually put this report together between 8:00am and 8:30am, so that is when they are checked. And I updated the data manually.
The snow depth 'change since yesterday' number is not published by ski areas (though it is based on their numbers). That one is basically me doing a bit of adding and subtracting to show you the difference between the numbers day by day. My basic mathematics skills go far enough for me to do that. ;)
Ski areas sometimes don't update their info promptly (or even at all) on some days. Niseko Village, in particular, seems to have neglected the new snowfall number in recent days, hence why I took it out of the report. Some ski areas also only seem to work in units of 5cm - i.e. 0cm, 5cm, 10cm, 15cm, 20cm, etc. - which I always find a bit odd. (These things are not just a Niseko thing, by the way, but common with Japanese ski areas).
It is definitely the case that official snow depth data can often seem at odds with fresh snowfall rates. So why do snow depths remain unchanged when there has been more than 20cm or more since the previous day? New snowfall often does not result in increased snow depth data. There are a bunch of reasons for that, one being that snow depth is usually taken from a groomed run rather than untouched snow that hasn't been compacted.
Snow depth is perhaps important information at the beginning of a season. Still, once the season gets going, I think the most important number is the observed snowfall every day. That's how much fresh snow we are getting. And that number should be considered a minimum because there is often more snow at higher elevations than at the base.
Basically, I wouldn't dwell too much on snow depth numbers on a day-by-day basis. I don't think they are totally useless. Their value is probably more about looking (from one step back) at the general shape of the season. And perhaps comparing with previous seasons. That's what I think, anyway.
I hope I haven't complicated things even further by trying to explain them!
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base -10C, no new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m: -12.1C, WNW7.1m/s, snowdrift development, good visibility. Annupuri 1100m: -15.2C, WNW5.4m/s. Mizuno no Sawa: -13.7C, N4.3m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -15.2C, N5.4m/s. Hanzono#3: -12.4C, N2.5m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape NNW5m/s, Kamui Cape WNW4m/s, 1024hPa, 2.3m wave.
The atmospheric pressure gradient is mellow and the ocean and mountain weather is calm with around 10m/s westerly wind above 1000m elevation. Cold air continues to flow in. General avalanche risk is low based on observations and data. Please listen to the patrol’s advice when you go outbounds. Do not stay at the bottom of the gullies. If the avalanche occurs from deeper layers, it will wipe out the entire valley. Avalanches are natural phenomenon but it won’t be an accident if no one gets caught.
NIED’s avalanche experiment starts today at the Moiwa bowl. Please cooperate. The purpose of this experiment is to study the vulnerability of the development process of snowdrifts (slabs), which is said to be one of the causes of avalanches. Snow is good today. Stay safe. Most accidents can be prevented if we take precautions.
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Ski area information for Monday 23rd January 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, weather permitting.
Official snow depth numbers in brackets show the change since previous report.
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 15cm
- Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 305cm (+10cm since yesterday)
- Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Ace Family quad [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Ace Number 3 pair
- Hirafu Gondola
- Holiday Number 1 pair
- King Number 3 quad
- King Number 4
- Swinging Monkey
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 16cm
- Base: 16cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 240cm (+1cm change since yesterday)
- Base: 187cm (-2cm change since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Hanazono Number 1
- Hanazono Number 2 quad
- Hanazono Number 3 quad
- Hanazono Symphony Gondola [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 10cm
- Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 170cm (no change since yesterday)
- Base: 150cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Annupuri Gondola
- Dream Number 1 quad
- Jumbo Number 1 quad [* open until 7:30pm for night skiing]
- Jumbo Number 2 pair
- Jumbo Number 3 pair [* normally open on weekends and holidays]
- Jumbo Number 4 pair
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 165cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
- Base: 150cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Niseko Gondola
- Upper Village Gondola
- Village Express
- Community Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Banzai Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Wonderland Chair
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Lifts:
- Number 1 pair lift
- Number 2 pair lift
- Quad lift
Niseko Now 2022-2023 season |
Data as of Monday 23rd January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 566cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 22cm (2nd and 16th January) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 336cm reported on 27 days January 2023 snowfall 213cm reported on 19 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.