Niseko Now: Saturday 4th January 2020
- Jan 4, 2020
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 15cm
Snowfall at base this season 353cm
Posted on Saturday 4th January 2020 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
With snow falling yesterday and overnight, I have another measured 15cm of snowfall to report to you this morning.
It feels cold out, light snow is still falling early morning and it feels quite calm. Visibility looks uniformly rather limited-low though and there's a bit of a dark feel. Apart from our excitement at 15+cm of fresh snow waiting for us on the mountain, of course.
If official sources are correct at time of checking (8:20am), this morning the top King Number 4 at Hirafu is scheduled to be open with the Dynamic course becoming available; it looks like the Ace Number 4 is going to be resting a little while longer. I also see that Wonderland Chair at Niseko Village is on standby, and the Country Road lift is back to resting (...told you it was lazy).
I don't have news on gates as yet but the Avalanche Report is saying that they are being prepared for opening 'soon'.
Nearly there!
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base 6am: -9℃, 5cm snowfall in 12h, calm. Moiwa800m: 6.2m/s, 339°, -11.6℃, 30cm snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: 3.6m/s, 359°, -13.0℃. Hanazono 720m: 4.8m/s, 324°, -11.6℃. Annupuri 1000 snow depth 120cm. Sea of Japan Benkei cape: NNW10m/s, Kamui cape: NW7m/s, 1014hPa, 1.9m waves.
The snow-clouds above the Sea of Japan have disappeared and the weather is getting better under a moderate wintery atmospheric pressure distribution. A light 30-40cm snowdrifts are present in leeward slopes under 800m. According to all data and observations, the overall avalanche risk is low today. However, a thin surface slab slide should be expected in steep 40°slopes. Bushes are still thick under 700m elevation.
Ride one by one and avoid stopping at the bottom of the gully to avoid accidents. All gates except gate 6 remain closed, but are being prepared for opening soon. There will always be a certain level of risk riding the out of bounds area. Guides and tour leaders are responsible for the group’s safety. Always be prudent. We strongly recommend wearing a helmet and carrying avalanche gear (beacon, helmet, probe), some food, a bivy tent and a rope. The snowpack may be shallow, but the quality is prime. Do not cross ropes/nets to access fresh tracks.
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Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 230cm
- Base: 85cm
All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following:
- Ace Number 4
All courses normally open EXCEPT the following:
- Onsenzawa
- Large
- Miharashi
Scheduled lifts that operate late:
- Ace Family quad until 8:30pm
- Ace Number 2 Center Four quad until 8:20pm
- Hirafu Gondola until 8:10pm
- Holiday Number 1 pair until 8:30pm
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 130cm
- Base: 75cm
All lifts normally operating:
- Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 quads
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 130cm
- Base: 85cm
All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following:
- Jumbo Number 4
Scheduled lifts that operate late:
- Jumbo Number 1 quad until 8:30pm
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 130cm
- Base: 85cm
All lifts normally operating EXCEPT the following:
- Country Road
Scheduled lifts that operate late:
- Annupuri Village Gondola until 8:00pm
- Village Express until 8:00pm
- Banzai Chair until 8:00pm
Niseko Now 2019-2020 season |
Data as of Saturday 4th January 2020 Total snowfall at base so far 353cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 35 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 26cm (2nd January) November 2019 snowfall 85cm reported on 10 days December 2019 snowfall 207cm reported on 21 days January 2020 snowfall 61cm 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.