Niseko Now: Tuesday 24th February 2026
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 4cm
Snowfall at base this season 823cm
Good morning from Niseko.
It definitely feels colder again this morning and some light snow falling now.
We have had several+ cm of snow since yesterday (Hirafu reporting up to 10cm) and all lifts appear to be opening this morning. There should be some fresh tracks to find this morning especially with the snowdrift development mentioned below.
Forecasts generally seem to indicate some sunshine tomorrow and a colder end to the month with maybe a bit more snow.
We shouldn't expect anything major, though.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -6°C, 7cm new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m -9.3°C, WNW 6.2m/s, 50cm snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -11.9°C, W 6.6m/s. Niseko Village 1000m: -10.8°C, WSW 3.7m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -11.5°C, N 1.7m/s. Hanazono 800m: -8.3°C, E 3.2m/s, 5cm new snow. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape NW 11m/s. Kamui Cape WSW 13m/s, 1023hPa, wave height 2.1m.
Westerly winds remain strong in high elevation, with gusts reaching 20m/s around 2:00 AM, as the northern edge of a high-pressure system is passing nearby. Although new snowfall is only 5-10cm, wind slabs have developed on eastern slopes, reaching up to 60cm on knolls at 800m. These slabs are prone to fracturing under stimulation this morning; the avalanche risk for the morning is relatively high. Gates are expected to open with a slight delay. Follow the instructions of the ski patrol. Areas above 700m have been reset by wind-blown snow, but you will still hit the firm bottom. Skiing out of control leads to falls and broken bones. Always ride within your limits. Be alert for shallow surface avalanches on gully sidewalls where snowdrifts have accumulated. This information is issued to prevent avalanche accidents within the resort and its surroundings. More than 50 people have died in avalanches in Europe and North America this year. Guides and leaders must not be overconfident in the knowledge they have acquired. If that knowledge is based on flawed assumptions, accidents will continue to happen. 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: 5cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 290cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 185cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
4 of 4 lifts
Gondola until 7:00pm
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 370cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 100cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
9 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 269cm (-21cm change since yesterday)
Base: 165cm (-30cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
8 of 8 lifts
Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair until 7:00pm
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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: 280cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 170cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 6 lifts
Jumbo Number 1 quad until 7:30pm
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Planned lift operations:
3 of 3 lifts
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Tuesday 24th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 823cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 77 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (on 12th January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 451cm reported on 28 days February 2026 snowfall 154cm 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.