Niseko Now: Sunday 29th March 2026
- Mar 29
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 873cm
Good morning from Niseko.
It's a cloudy kind of spring morning with some blue sky and some sun in places. Having said that, visibility is looking limited on the higher Hirafu webcams at the start of the day.
I have taken out the 'new snowfall' bits of my daily list (below). If we do get lucky enough to get any fresh snow, I will of course let you know here in my commentary.
The following lifts are now closed:
Hirafu: Ace Number 3 pair, Ace Number 4 pair
Village: Morino Chair
Annupuri: Jumbo Number 2 pair, Jumbo Number 3 pair
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa Base: +2°C, frozen. Moiwa 800m: -0.8°C, WNW4.4m/s. Annupuri 1100m: -2.7°C, WSW3.7m/s. Niseko Village 1000m: -1.5°C, W1.7m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -2.2°C, N2.4m/s. Hanazono 800m: +0.3°C, NNE1.7m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape: WSW6m/s. Kamui Cape: WSW6m/s, 1018hPa, wave n/a.
Snowmelt is progressing and at lower elevations in the Hirafu area some connecting paths are impassable. Do not try to pass through restricted areas. There is a risk of avalanches from side walls. Large-scale full-depth avalanches have begun to occur on south faces. Do not use the Yunosawa restricted area as a return route down. The risk of avalanches from the side walls will increase in the afternoon. Due to dense fog, gate opening is undecided, please follow patrol instructions. Hanazono Gate 5 is expected to be open. Do not traverse over to the cornice, there is the risk of sudden collapse. One track can lead others to follow and increase the probability of accidents. This report will soon finish this season. Today I will post photos from spring 2012. Do not underestimate the danger of avalanches. Only caution can prevent accidents.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 267cm (-8cm change since yesterday)
Base: 150cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 335cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 75cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 240cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 119cm (-14cm change since yesterday)
Planned last day of the season:
Sunday 12th April
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 270cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 100cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned last day of the season:
Wednesday 6th May
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Niseko Moiwa has a planned closing date of Sunday 5th April.
Asahigaoka ski area (near Kutchan Station) closed on 8th March.
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Sunday 29th March 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 873cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 90 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 March 2026 snowfall 50cm reported on 13 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.