Niseko Now: Friday 24th January 2020
- Jan 24, 2020
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 6cm
Snowfall at base this season 499cm
Posted on Friday 24th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Today I have to post my report earlier than usual as I need to get myself somewhere else this morning.
It was indeed a beautiful morning yesterday. I was out there for a few hours and shared some lifts with people enjoying themselves. The general condition of this season in Japan (the not as much snow as usual thing) seems to be a big topic with many; one group had decided to change their destination to Niseko after originally planning to be at another popular resort on Honshu...
Snow has been falling from early on today and it is coming down quite nicely now. I have 6cm to record here as of 8am and hopefully that will be added to through the day today. We might need to watch out for windy conditions today so keep an eye on lift operations. Before the lifts get going they all seem to be planning to be operating as normal.
Niseko is busy right now with many people arriving for their holidays to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Fresh snowfall to greet them is most definitely a good thing!
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -6℃, 3cm snowfall in 12h and growing. Moiwa 800m: 315°(NW) 5.0m/s, -5.1℃, 5cm snowfall and growing. Hirafu 1000m: 88°(E) 2.1m/s, -6.9℃. Hanazono 720m: 110°(ESE) 2.9m/s, -4.4℃. Niseko Village 900m: 264°(WSW) 3.2m/s, -6.3℃. Benkei cape: NNW15m/s, Kamui cape: NW12m/s, 1017hPa, 1.3m waves.
A momentary heavy snowfall came as a cold front passed pre-dawn. The snow&wind will pick up as the cold front moves east and cornices and snowdrifts will start to develop. There were no prominent avalanche hazards observed in the morning, however the hazard level will rise in leeward slopes above 1000m such as the Backbowl, Osawa, Iwao NE gully during the day. Snow conditions changes day by day. It’s recommended to avoid open terrains and stay in the trees today. Sunlight is weak and the obstacles are hard to see. Beware of hitting trees and/or falling into holes. Better carry an extra goggle. It’s strongly recommended to wear a helmet, carry a beacon, shovel and probe. Those can save your life and help save others too.
All gates are scheduled to open. Listen to the ski patrol’s instructions. Annupuri Gate 7 will open today, but there are still many obstacles, beware. Do not cross rope to Yu no sawa.
A storm is in its way; beware of sudden weather changes. Stay humble and cautious, that is the best way to avoid accidents in the mountains.
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Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 245cm
- Base: 120cm
All lifts are normally operating EXCEPT:
- King Number 2 quad lift (this lift is normally rested)
All courses normally open
Lifts scheduled for late operations:
- Ace Family quad until 8:30pm
- Ace Number 2 Center Four quad until 8:20pm
- Hirafu Gondola until 8:10pm
- Holiday Number 1 pair until 8:30pm
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 170cm
- Base: 113cm
All lifts are normally operating
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 155cm
- Base: 110cm
All lifts are normally operating
Lift scheduled for late operations:
- Jumbo Number 1 quad until 8:30pm
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 175cm
- Base: 100cm
All lifts normally operating EXCEPT:
- Country Road (this lift is normally rested)
Lifts scheduled for late operations:
- Annupuri Village Gondola until 8:00pm
- Village Express until 8:00pm
- Banzai Chair until 8:00pm
Niseko Now 2019-2020 season |
Data as of Friday 24th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 499cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 49 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 33cm (21st January) November 2019 snowfall 85cm reported on 10 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm reported on 21 days January 2020 snowfall 207cm reported on 18 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.