Niseko Now: Sunday 4th January 2015
- Jan 4, 2015
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 15cm
Snowfall at base this season 614cm
Posted on Sunday 4th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
15-20cm of beautiful light new snow this morning outside my place and about that being reported by the resorts as well so another very nice new layer of fresh to play in. Oh we are spoilt!
It's still snowing now but expected to stop today perhaps sometime this morning.
Sunshine and blue skies are forecast for tomorrow so charge up those cameras for a chance of scenery pics.
It won't last long though as we should be back to snow on Tuesday.
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The 'Early Morning' lift operations will begin at Niseko Grand Hirafu from Saturday 10th January, through to Sunday 1st February. It's basically 20 minutes of extra lift ticket time from 8am. The Ace Quad Lift Number 2 operates and the courses open are Super, Furiko, Green, Alpen and Sennoki. If you want that extra 20 minutes and think it's worth the 500 yen that it costs for a special ticket, then head over to the lift ticket counter at .Base from 7:45am on the days it's open.
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Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day
Niseko Grand Hirafu:
Looks set to be open as planned.
Niseko Hanazono:
Top King Nunber 4 lift delayed slightly due to having to move snow. Not the worst problem to have!
Niseko Village:
Looks set to be open as planned.
Niseko Annupuri:
Looks set to be open as planned. 'Annupuri First Run' is available until today and then also on the 11th and 12th January. For 1000 yen, you can get to ride the Gondola from 7:20-8:20am.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base: -6C, 15cm of snowfall in 12 hours, no snowdrifts. Moiwa 800m: westerly 8m/s, -9C, 20cm of snowfall and snowdrifts development up to 100cm. Annupuri 1150m: westerly breeze, -10C, 20cm snowfall with snowdrifts development. Hirafu 1000m: -8C, 20cm snowfall with snowdrifts development. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW14m/s, Kamui cape WSW9m/s, 1010hPa, 1.7m waves.
The isobars are spacing out and snowclouds are fading. Peak gates 2 & 3 are scheduled to open today. Heavy snowdrifts have developed in leeward slopes above 800m in the last 24 hours. The newly formed snowdrifts are still very unstable and avalanche risk is high, especially around 1000m areas in the Backbowl, Osawa and Higashi-One. These steep faces should be left untouched today. Better not underestimate the hazards of out of bounds (backcountry) riding, the consequences can be more severe than you think. Ask the ski patrol’s advice before stepping out and always think safety first. Do not cross boundary ropes, always use the access gates. The snow in the trees has been reset and is in splendid condition.
Have you switched your beacon on? Carrying avalanche gear may not be mandatory, but is strongly recommended to do so.
Have a great day.
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Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing:
Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 320cm
Base - 170cm
Niseko Village:
Top - 220cm
Base - 150cm
Niseko Annupuri:
Top - 220cm
Base - 160cm
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Lifts open for night skiing (planned):
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift
(There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area)
Niseko Village
Community Chair and Banzai Chair
Niseko Annupuri
Jumbo Number 1 Quad
Niseko Now 2014-2015 season |
Data as of Sunday 4th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 614cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 34 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 65cm 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.