Niseko Now: Saturday 27th January 2018
- Jan 27, 2018
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 16cm
Snowfall at base this season 799cm
Posted on Saturday 27th January 2018 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Things seems rather calm this morning.
Oh, and yes, I have another 16cm of snowfall on ground at base to report to you.
Excellent conditions yesterday and things should be similar today too.
Without wind messing with plans, all resorts and gates should be open.
Light snow falling at a fair pace currently and visibility looks fairly limited out on the mountain.
Have fun!
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 5am: -8℃, 15cm snowfall, calm. Moiwa800m: -8.8℃, W4.6m/s, 30cm snowfall, 100cm snowdrift development overnight. Annupuri1150m: -12℃, 40cm snowfall with snowdrifts. Hirafu1250m: -14℃, 30cm snowfall with development of soft slabs due to westerly winds. Coastal data Benkei cape: NW12m/s, Kamui cape N11m/s, 1006hPa, 2.2m waves.
The wind has started to calm down, however snowdrifts are still slowly growing above 800m. No notable weakness has been observed during pressure test this morning. The avalanche risk is relatively low below 800m elevation. Avalanche hazard is still considerable in higher elevation as the Jan 25th low-pressure snowfall layer in the snowpack could trigger a 60cm thick surface slab avalanche in wind-loaded slopes above 1100m. Better not stimulate slopes around cornices and steep unobstructed slopes above treeline.
Do not traverse under cornices. Ski one by one. Stay away from valley bottoms. These are all common sense for out of bounds riding. There are deep cracks lurking under new snow, be careful not to fall in. All gates are expected to open from the morning. Listen to the patrol’s advice, be prepared for the backcountry and always use gates. One track under the rope will lead others to follow and increase the chances of accidents.
The snow is excellent this morning. Enjoy your day safely. Beware of bad visibility and frostbites.
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Saturday 27th January 2018
Resort specific information (operations subject to change):
Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts apart from King Number 2 should be operating
- 'Early Morning' services from 8:00am until 8:20am (Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift). Until 28th January. 500 yen special ticket required.
Official snow depth:
- Top: 420cm
- Base: 220cm
Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts should be operating
Official snow depth:
- Top: 300cm
- Base: 180cm
Niseko Village
Lifts scheduled to be operating:
- All lifts apart from the Country Road Chair lift should be operating
- 'Early Gondola' service from 7:30am until 8:30am (Niseko Gondola). January 27th-28th; February 3rd-4th. 1,400 yen special ticket required.
Official snow depth:
- Top: 300cm
- Base: 180cm
Niseko Now 2017-2018 season |
Data as of Saturday 27th January 2018 Total snowfall at base so far 799cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 60 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 406cm reported on 27 days January 2018 snowfall 205cm 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.