Niseko Now: Thursday 27th December 2018
- Dec 27, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 12cm
Snowfall at base this season 331cm
Posted on Thursday 27th December 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
I can't see much of anything out of my window this morning!
Poor visibility, very cold temperatures and rather windy conditions this morning and as the first lifts get moving for the day I can see that the top lifts at Hirafu, Village and Annupuri - as well as the Annupuri Gondola - are not going to be able to open as planned at the start of the day.
So yes it is snowing and I have just measured 12cm of fresh snow on the ground here by my Hirafu base. I am guessing there is going to be more (or less) in places due to the wind, but that's my measurement. Once again it is really good nice light quality too. The forecasts remain snowy so there are going to be regular top-ups to fill in tracks.
It seems that access to some of the top gates should be happening pretty soon with lots of preparation going on. Perhaps once this particular storm passes? Just a bit more patience required.
All very exciting. Have fun and take care.
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May I suggest checking out the report from Myoko (in Niigata) yesterday; I know what my colleague is saying.
Myoko Now: 26th December report
And by the way, some of you may well just read this Niseko Now report, but I highly recommend checking out some of the other ones on SnowJapan. I read them all every day, even areas I have never been to. It's great to keep up to date on what is happening around Japan.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 6am: -10℃, 20cm snowfall with developing snowdrifts, stormy. Moiwa800m: W15m/s, 20cm, developing cornices and snowdrifts. Mikaeri junction: 50-100cm snowdrifts. Coastal data Benkei cape: NW20m/s, Kamui cape: W15m/s, 1006hPa, 2.5m waves. Hirafu peak: -17℃, NW20m/s, snowdrifts developing. Niseko Village Mizuno no Sawa 1000m: W16.3m/s, -15.29℃, Ktutchan town snowdepth: 84cm.
A strong westerly wind is blowing above 800m elevation. The snowdrifts and cornices development is large and very unstable. The avalanche risk is high today. All peak chairs operation is pending. Do not duck ropes into strictly off-limits areas. Better not stimulate knoll terrains within the boundaries as they are equally unstable. Very hazardous conditions today.
The opening of gate 6 is still pending, please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. We’re finally getting a decent amount of snow, however creeks are yet to be fully buried. Better not venture out too far without proper equipment. Rescue operations will take a long time. Many of the avalanche accidents occur during and just after storms. The dense wind-affected snow in the trees is in great conditions. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended. Have a great day.
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Ski resort operation information: Thursday 27th December 2018
The below information is manually checked each morning and believed to be correct at time of report. Subject to change!
** SOME LIFTS AFFECTED BY WIND EARLY THIS MORNING - SEE ABOVE **
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 215cm
- Base: 95cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts apart from Ace Number 4 pair lift and King Number 2 quad lifts are normally operating
- The Ace Family quad (until 8:30pm), Ace Center 4 quad (8:20pm), Hirafu Gondola (until 8:10pm) and Holiday Number 1 pair (until 8:30pm) lifts are normally open during the evening
Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 153cm
- Base: 96cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All Hanazono lifts are normally operating
- The Hanazono lifts are normally open until 3:30pm
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Courses:
- All official courses are now available
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 180cm
- Base: 90cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All Annupuri lifts are normally operating
- The Jumbo 1 lift is normally open until 8:30pm during the evening
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 190cm
- Base: 100cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts apart from Morino Chair and Country Road Chair are normally operating
- The Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair lifts are normally open until 8:00pm during the evening
Niseko Now 2018-2019 season |
Data as of Thursday 27th December 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 331cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 30 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 25cm (23rd November and 14th December) November 2018 snowfall 84cm reported on 8 days December 2018 snowfall 247cm reported on 22 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.