Niseko Now: Saturday 3rd January 2026
- Jan 3
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 10cm
Snowfall at base this season 271cm
Good morning from Niseko.
The big news of this morning has to be the exciting special ticke... - oh, sorry, I'm being naughty. ;)
The big news is actually that top lifts are open this morning with peak gates scheduled to be open too. Hurray!
It feels like things have properly started when that happens and time for some special celebratory toast.
Now that most lifts are up and running, I have adjusted the list below to just show which are scheduled to be open for 'night' skiing.
Oh yes, I have slightly over 10cm of fresh snow to add today, too.
Hirafu and Hanazono are both reporting over 20cm at higher elevations and so it should be another good morning.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base -6℃, light wind, 15cm new snowfall, good visibility. Moiwa 800: -8.4℃, NNW4.2m/s, 15cm new snow, 50cm snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -10.5℃, NNW3.7m/s. Village1000m: -9.2℃, N3.7m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -9.9℃, N5.2m/s, 20cm new snowfall. Hanazono 800m: -7.9℃, NNW2.4m/s. Coastal Data: Benkei Cape NNW9m/s, Kamui Cape N4m/s, 1009hPa, 1.4m waves.
Isobar are moving apart and the weather is relatively calm at sea and on the mountain. There has been 10-20cm of new crystalline snow with little wind influence. Observations and data indicate the overall avalanche risk is low. Peak gates are expected to open for limited hours today. While beacons and probes are not required, they are recommended. Having these tools increases the chances of saving not only your life but also the lives of your friends in the event of an emergency. These tools are not a fashion accessory. Do not enter the BackBowl creek lightly, there is still the risk of avalanches on the SE face above 1,000 meters. Never enter the Strictly Off Limits area Haru no Taki. The snow is turning into slabs, and there is a possibility of 100cm avalanches. Moiwa Gate 10, site of frequent accidents, will be closed for the time being due to the high risk of beginners falling into the Anbetsu River. Outside the gates is not part of the ski resort. Niseko allows off-piste skiing under the Niseko Rules, but is always concerned about the safety of its visitors. There is no safety in this sport. Overconfidence and carelessness lead to accidents. Guides and group leaders bear a great responsibility. Plan reasonably. The snow is excellent. Please listen to the patrol’s advice before going out of bounds. Have a great day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 22cm
Base: 13cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 178cm (+18cm change since yesterday)
Base: 95cm (+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: 25cm
Base: 25cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 240cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 75cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
8 of 9 lifts (not Ace 4)
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
Planned open courses:
Courses yet to open are Konayuki and Miharashi
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 160cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 80cm (+8cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
7 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: 15cm
Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 150cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 100cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
5 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 3rd January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 271cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December and 2nd January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 53cm reported on 3 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.