Niseko Now: Tuesday 31st March 2026
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 873cm
It is a cloudy kind of start to the day, but quite bright with a few shadows in places. We should have some clearer skies and sunshine tomorrow.
A special mention and sincere thank you this morning to the good people posting the Niseko Avalanche Reports. On behalf of us all, thank you.
Otsukaresama deshita!
I plan to write up a monthly recap thingy today and will post that tomorrow morning.
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
Mountain base: +2°C, cloudy. Moiwa 800m: +2.0°C, NW 3.8m/s. Annupuri 1100m: +0.1°C, WNW 4.3m/s. Village 1000m: +1.1°C, WNW 1.9m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: +0.7°C, N 2.1m/s. Hanazono 800m: +3.5°C, N 1.3m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei Cape: light winds. Kamui Cape: SSW 8m/s, 1016hPa, wave height unknown.
Both the sea and the mountain range are calm. Based on observations and data evaluation, the risk of full-depth avalanches remains high at the 1000m Kozan-no-sawa (Backbowl) sidewalls and the Annupuri Osawa cornice face. Skiing in the gully bottoms should be avoided. The snow is not bad. Gate status is TBD; follow the instructions of the ski patrol. This information is issued with the goal of preventing out-of-bounds avalanche accidents. However, while avalanche accidents have decreased, other incidents show no sign of waning. This season, we have continued to see fatalities due to people getting lost, collisions, and medical emergencies. With the increase in visitors, perhaps this is unavoidable. We continue our efforts to communicate the expected risks of the day and reduce the possibility of accidents as much as possible.
At the risk of being blunt, perhaps it is time for a radical departure from the status quo. Should we not finally free ourselves from the obsession with “weak layers”? Has the weak-layer theory, born in Europe and spread through Japan, truly served to prevent avalanche accidents here? For 40 years, avalanche accidents have continued unabated, and many victims are those who had already acquired avalanche knowledge. I believe something is fundamentally wrong. Identifying the cause after a tragedy cannot restore the lost lives. Subjective pit checks and shovel tests simply do not seem to be effective tools for accident prevention. Are facets and depth hoar the only justification for avalanches? People seek knowledge, which is why avalanche seminars remain popular. What is needed now is practical, effective education—the kind that actually prevents accidents. We must stop confusing academic research with safety education. These are the views of the Niseko Avalanche Institute.
With that, we conclude the Niseko Avalanche Information for the season.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 260cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 135cm (-5cm 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: 325cm (-5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 70cm (-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: 219cm (-12cm change since yesterday)
Base: 106cm (-12cm 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: 90cm (-10cm 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 Tuesday 31st 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.