Niseko Now: Sunday 4th December 2022
- Dec 4, 2022
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 18cm
Snowfall at base this season 81cm
Posted on Sunday 4th December 2022 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
I have more gore good news this morning with just under 20cm of new snow to report since yesterday. It did actually feel relatively mild later in the day yesterday, but even so we still got the goodies... and there's more to come. Continued snowfall is on the forecast and it feels pretty cold again this morning.
Niseko Grand Hirafu opens from this morning with the base Ace Family Quad joining in the fun. So only Hanazono (and the small Asahigaoka) are not open, with operations limited to lower areas.
If we do get that regular snowfall shown on forecasts over the coming days, we can probably expect more to be opening up quite quickly.
A few things:
The early season can sometimes be a mad rush of information that changes by the hour (or minute). I am going to do my best to bring you as much good and correct information each morning. Please remember that things can change quickly. And also that I am not perfect (even with all the toast I eat). It's also important to remember that I am not here to create hype and sell you on Niseko; I am simply here to tell you what is happening.
Snowfall numbers that are reported by the ski areas - as I post them below - sometimes seem wonky and do not seem to add up. Frustrating? For sure! But think of it as just part of the, er, 'fun'. I recommend pinches of salt and not losing sleep over it.
A shout out and sincere thanks to the good people responsible for the Niseko Avalanche Report, and everyone involved in getting our mountain up and running too.
Let's hearty and safety snowsports with us!
----------
Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base -3℃, 15cm snowfall in 12h. Coastal data: Cape Kamui WNW14m/s, Cape Benkei WNW 11m/s, 1015hPa, wave 2.0m. Winter type weather pattern. Mountain data not available.
We are in a typical winter weather pattern with blizzards on the seas and mountains. Although there is only a small amount of snow, there has been snow drift development on leeward slopes below 800m. From data and snowfall transition there is a risk of avalanches on SE faces around 800m due to snow drifts fracturing. Avoid SE faces, cornices and knolls above 900m. There isn't much snow yet, be careful on uneven terrain. Also the poor light today doesn't help. Gates are not open yet. Please respect and follow Niseko Rules. Thank you to the patrol, groomers and lifties for your safety. This information is produced from the cooperation of mountain staff at all ski areas. Be careful to avoid accidents. Have a good day.
----------
Individual ski area operations: Sunday 4th December 2022
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing.
Official snow depth numbers in brackets show the change since previous report.
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 0cm (does not seem to have been updated this morning)
- Base: 0cm (does not seem to have been updated this morning)
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 60cm (+40cm)
- Base: 40cm (+10cm)
Planned lift operations:
- Ace Family Quad (8:20am-3:10pm)
Planned courses available:
- Family Course
-----
Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 50cm (-)
- Base: 35cm (-)
Planned lift operations:
- Not open yet
-----
Niseko Annupuri
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 10cm
- Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 50cm (+10cm)
- Base: 40cm (no change)
Planned lift operations:
- Dream Number 1 quad (9:20am-3:30pm)
Planned courses available:
- Beginner Course by the lift
-----
Niseko Village
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 30cm
- Base: 30cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 70cm (unknown)
- Base: 60cm (unknown)
Planned lift operations:
- Village Express (8:30am-3:30pm)
- Community Chair (8:30am-3:30pm)
- Banzai Chair (8:30am-3:30pm)
-----
Niseko Moiwa
Planned lift operations:
- Number 1 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm)
- Number 2 pair lift (8:30am-3:30pm)
----------
Night skiing:
Floodlit night skiing is planned from Saturday 17th December 2022 until Sunday 19th March 2023.
Niseko Now 2022-2023 season |
Data as of Sunday 4th December 2022 Total snowfall at base so far 81cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 9 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (2nd December) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 64cm reported on 4 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.