Niseko Now: Friday 31st January 2014
- Jan 31, 2014
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 30, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 10cm
Snowfall at base this season 859cm
Posted on Friday 31st January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Ah good, we are back to something colder this morning.
Another 10cm of fresh snow to report this morning from the Hirafu village area and it's of a better (drier) quality than the snow I reported yesterday. As you can see in the Avalanche Report below, up to 20cm is being reported at higher elevations.
Strong winds again spoiling the fun a bit this morning and it's blizzard conditions up on the mountain by the looks. For those braving conditions, make sure you know where you're going - visibility is low out there.
The top lifts at each resort not opening as scheduled this morning due to the wind conditions.... winds of up to 21m/s reported by Annupuri, where the Gondola isn't moving either; the Gondola at Niseko Village is also on hold.
Happy Chinese New Year to those celebrating! It's going to be a busy weekend.
Tomorrow we'll look at the numbers for the season and the month of January and also see how they compare with last year.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base 6am: -6, 15cm new snow in last 12 hrs, snow drift development. Moiwa 800m: -9C, wind W16m/s , 20cm new snow, snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -11C, wind W20m/s, 20cm new snow, snowdrift development. Hirafu 1000m: -7C, 20cm new snow, snow drift development. Annupuri peak 1308m: -12.8℃, wind NW15.4m/s. Cape Benkei: NW20m/s, Cape Kamui: W14m/s, wave 2.1m, pressure 1001hPa.
Isobars have moved closer together and the mountain is experiencing blizzard conditions. There has been major snow drift development and the avalanche risk is high on steep wind influenced slopes. From current observations it is expected the 28-29 layer will fracture easily generating slabs 80-120cm thick. Dont ride the valleys today. The forest is reset and good. Beware of cracks in the middle of slopes due to bad visibility, they are hard to see from above.
Peak gates will be closed. Do not duck ropes to get fresh lines. Niseko Rules are here to protect all skiers safety and freedom. We strongly demand all riders read and understand the rules. Do not enter Haru no Taki, and Yu no Sawa Strictly Off Limits area, or Mizuno no sawa Special Control Area. Mountain is in good condition. Have a safe day.
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Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing:
Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 395cm
Base - 190cm
Niseko Village:
Top - 335cm
Base - 225cm
Annupuri:
Top - 280cm
Base - 210cm
Niseko Now 2013-2014 season |
Data as of Friday 31st January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 859cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 60 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 461cm reported on 29 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.