Niseko Now: Saturday 28th February 2026
- Feb 28
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 823cm
Good morning from Niseko.
Well, it's the last day of February and we end the month with... some rain and mild conditions. Not great.
Niseko Village is saying light snow up top, but the other three main ski areas are reporting light rain. Of course, Niseko Village reports 0cm of snowfall almost every time when there's clearly a lot of snowfall. So, pinches of salt etc.
All lifts opening as planned, but peak gates closed.
I'll probably have lots of words in my monthly recap tomorrow, so I'll just leave it there for now and be with you again tomorrow.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: +3℃, light rain. Moiwa 800m:+0.5℃, NW1.9m/s. Annupuri 1100m: -0.4℃, W1.5m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -0.1℃, NNE0.5m/s. Hanazono 800m: -+0.6℃, N0.8m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape S2m/s, Kamui Cape calm, 1013hPa, wave 0.8m.
Beware of cracks collapsing across the mountain, including under lift lines, due to the rising temperatures and rain. With the poor visibility from rain and strong winds at the top of the mountain, all peak gates will be closed. Please follow the patrol instructions. Do not duck ropes. The mountain is transitioning into spring, with alternating periods of cold and warm weather. The risk of large-scale avalanches in the valleys is increasing. In Niseko, a heavy snow region, cornices and snowdrifts that develop downwind can suddenly collapse, causing massive full-depth avalanches. Also, on Mt. Yotei, strong southwesterly snowstorms after the passing of a low pressure system can cause large-scale surface avalanches. Avalanches are natural phenomena, and as long as no one is present, no accidents will occur. Don’t be overconfident. Caution prevents accidents. Make sure your beacon is working. A beacon will not only save your own life, but also the lives of your companions. It is not mandatory, but we recommend having one.
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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: 270cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 170cm (-5cm 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: 0cm
Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 350cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 90cm (-5cm 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: 255cm (-19cm change since yesterday)
Base: 165cm (no 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: 150cm (-10cm 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 Saturday 28th 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.