Niseko Now: Monday 2nd February 2026
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 25cm
Snowfall at base this season 702cm
Good morning from Niseko.
Another good delivery of fresh snow. Right now it is mostly cloudy with light snow falling in places but some hunt of blue sky in other areas (Annupuri). Varied weather depending on where you are. But it should be good everywhere.
A lot of people are thinking the same... check out the lines below!
If you were naughty and did not read the report yesterday, please do back and check it out. It includes the monthly recap with some interesting numbers, and lots of words (which are perhaps less interesting). I think I've run out of them this morning.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base -7°C, 15cm snowfall, calm. Moiwa 800m -9.9°C, 30cm snowfall with developing wind-slabs, winds light. Annupuri 1100m -11.8°C, WNW 5.7m/s. Village 1000m -10.6°C, WNW 3.1m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m -11.8°C, WSW 2.0m/s. Hanazono 800m -8.3°C, WNW 4.9m/s. Sea of Japan: Benkei Cape NW 8m/s, Kamui Cape WNW 7m/s, pressure 1013hPa, wave height 1.0m.
Isobars are wide and coastal wave heights are decreasing. Winds peaked last night at 8 PM at 20m/s in the western areas at 1000m, then hovered around 10m/s until morning. Observations indicate that new wind slabs are stabilizing over time. The overall avalanche risk is low. All peak gates are expected to open. Follow the ski patrol instructions. The area outside the gates is not a ski resort. Do not enter strictly prohibited areas based on your own selfish logic. You will lose your lift pass. As the number of guests surges, a “whack-a-mole” game continues between the ski patrol and trespassers. Respect the Niseko Rules for the safety of yourself and your companions.
As Dr. Ukichiro Nakaya said, snow is a gift from heaven, and we receive its blessings. However, snow changes. When the wind blows, slabs develop and avalanche risk increases. Do not over-rely on pit checks. Consider the danger on the leeward side slopes during and just after a storm as common sense. Doing so will reduce accidents. Do you have your beacon? Do you have your probe, shovel, and short rope? Emergency food? Do you know where you are? There is no “safety” in this sport. The snow today is exceptionally good.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 30cm
Base: 29cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 297cm (+17cm change since yesterday)
Base: 210cm (+10cm 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: 40cm
Base: 40cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 380cm (+30cm change since yesterday)
Base: 160cm (+10cm 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: 275cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 170cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
7 of 8 lifts (not Country Road)
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: 7cm (not updated since yesterday, perhaps?)
Base: 7cm (same?)
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 285cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 200cm (no 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 Monday 2nd February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 702cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 60 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 33cm reported on 2 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.