Niseko Now: Wednesday 24th December 2025
- Dec 24, 2025
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 174cm
First of all, let me note that my report tomorrow will appear rather late. Like, in the afternoon kind of late.
It must be a great day when that's the top news, right?!
Unfortunately, I have some more rain (at best, sleet) to report this morning. Yuckity-yuck.
I do feel for the people who are here expecting the famous Niseko conditions, but it is my duty to keep on reporting through the good and the... less than good.
And on that jolly note, have a fun Christmas Eve if such things are a thing for you. Santa-san might be a bit late with his delightfully soft and fluffy snow, but delivery is still apparently due from Friday. I'll be here to sign for it.
For me, it's delightfully light cake time, though no fried chicken this time round. Got to keep at least one of the dating-back-to-the-Edo-period Japanese Christmas traditions going. ;)
See you tomorrow afternoon.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base +3℃, raining at pre-dawn. Mowia 800m: -0.6℃, SE3.0m/s, some wet snowfall at pre-dawn. Mikaeri 800m: -5℃, ESE2.0m/s, wet snowfall. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: 0.6℃, SE3.0m/s. Hanazono 800m: -0.1℃, SSW6.4m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei cape S8m/s, Kamui cape S9m/s, 1015hPa, 0.8m waves.
A low-pressure system is moving north over the Sea of Japan, bringing an inflow of warm air. New snowfall has been minimal, and Niseko experienced rain through the early morning, causing the snowpack to loosen and melt.
This information is provided continuously to prevent accidents. Given that many incidents occur during severe weather, we base our danger assessments on the observation of wind slab formation and the numerical analysis of shifting weather data.
Wind slabs that accumulate rapidly on leeward slopes during blizzards remain structurally unstable until the winds subside. Any stimulations in these areas can cause a wide-range fracture, leading to an instantaneous soft-slab surface avalanche. It is true that avalanches originate from weak layers; however, predicting them through pit checks before they occur—while not impossible—is extremely difficult. Understanding the cause after an accident is too late, and will not bring back those who have been lost.
Avoiding stimulating the leeward slopes during a blizzard is the most reliable way to prevent accidents. This is precisely why Niseko manages the opening and closing of the gates. Overconfidence in one’s own knowledge often leads to disaster. If everyone correctly understands the dangers of a blizzard and treats that knowledge as common sense, accidents can be avoided.
Please stay alert for sudden weather changes. Remember, there is no such thing as absolute safety in this sport. Have a great 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: 115cm (-3cm change since yesterday)
Base: 48cm (-2cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
4 of 4 lifts
Gondola until 7:00pm
Planned open courses:
All main runs apart from Setsuzoku, Legend of Shinya (and Hanazono Park)
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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: 170cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 25cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
7 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola
Ace Family quad (until 7:00pm)
Ace Number 3 pair
King Gondola
King Holiday pair
King Number 3 six
Swinging Monkey
Planned open courses:
Family
Sennoki
Alpen
Super
Beginners access
Green
Shirakaba
Center
Kogen
Dai-ni no kabe
Kokutai
Holiday
Rinkan
Jumbo
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 100cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 30cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 8 lifts
Niseko Gondola
Upper Village Gondola (until 7:00pm)
Village Express (until 7:00pm)
Community Chair
Banzai Chair (until 7:00pm)
Morino Chair
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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: 90cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 45cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
5 of 6 lifts
Annupuri gondola
Dream Number 1 quad (until 7:00pm)
Jumbo Number 1 quad
Jumbo Number 2 pair
Jumbo Number 3 pair
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Planned lift operations:
3 of 3 lifts
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Wednesday 24th December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 174cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 24 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 145cm reported on 17 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.