Niseko Now: Friday 4th March 2016
- Mar 4, 2016
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 1cm
Snowfall at base this season 916cm
Posted on Friday 4th March 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Just 1cm of snowfall from yesterday to add to the snowfall numbers this morning.
It's a lovely sunny and calm morning and keeping cold too.
There are blue skies all around with just a few clouds here and there, including a rather fetching 'hat' being worn by Mt Yotei. And why not.
It might be a cold start to the day but we are expecting something of a warm up over the next few days and temperatures are expected to venture into positive numbers tomorrow (more sunshine) and Sunday in particular. Let's hope they don't venture too far. Sunday might be a day to have marked down for 'other plans' because as well as the warmth there's also a very good chance that it will be raining. Yuck.
But once we get to Monday it should start getting colder once again and there's more snow on the forecast for Tuesday.
I'll off out for a few hours skiing. Might see you out there!
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Niseko base 6am: -8℃, 5cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -9℃, 5cm snowfall with overnight snowdrift development. Mikaeri 740m: 15cm snowfall and large snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -11℃, good groomers condition and no notable development of snowdrifts. Snowpack depth 295cm at 1000m. Hirafu peak ridge: -9℃, mild wind, no notable snowdrift development. Coastal data Benkei cape: NNE3m/s, Kamui cape N2m/s, 1030hPa, 0.7m waves.
Calm ocean and mountains under the high-pressure system. Some light snow fell over night and the westerly wind that blew yesterday evening made the snow move and develop cornices and hard slabs snowdrifts in some ridges above 800m. The cornices could collapse with the slightest stimulation. There are 2 notable layers in the upper snowpack, but mostly stable, the hazard for large avalanche is low. The snow is in good shape, peak gates will open from the morning. Listen to the ski patrol’s instructions, be prepared before you step out of the gates. 100% safety is not possible in the out of bounds, you evaluate the risks and consequences. Better not underestimate the dangers, as well as not overestimate your experience, skills or equipment. Most accidents can be avoided by being prudent. Have a nice day.
Niseko Now 2015-2016 season |
Data as of Friday 4th March 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 916cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 73 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 42cm 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.