Niseko Now: Thursday 5th March 2015
- Mar 5, 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 1023cm
Posted on Thursday 5th March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
So yesterday I think I might have mentioned that we were expecting some snow.
And this morning we are the proud recipients of a good 15cm of new snow on the ground. It is still snowing now with snow forecast on and off during the day today and perhaps tomorrow as well. It's staying relatively mild and just under the zero mark.
Mountains are covered in cloud and I suspect more limited visibility the higher you get. And talking about higher up on the mountain...
Northerly wind is affecting lifts at the start of the day unfortunately, with all of Annupuri not opening yet and top lifts at the other three areas on standby. The forecast tells of less strong winds later on today, so hopefully that situation will change. Keep an eye on the latest from the resorts there...
That aside, it should be a good morning. Have fun and take care.
Calmer and clearer weather conditions are still forecast for the coming weekend. Back to snow early in the week perhaps.
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As we are now into March, things are starting to feel a bit quieter. Or am I imagining that? No, don't think so. Still, I can still say at this point that there is just over two month of ski season left here.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base 6am: -1C, 15cm snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NNW15m/s, 20cm of fresh with large snowdrift development. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 320cm. Hirafu peak: N21.2m/s, -8.1C. Benkei cape: ENE10m/s, Kamui cape: ENE5m/s, 1006hPa, 2.4m waves. Mikaeri cat track 700m: 45cm of unstable & heavy snowdrifts. Potential trigger layer: March 4-5th low-pressure system snowfall.
A northerly wind picked up since pre-dawn and snowdrifts are developing, notably in the western areas. Avalanche risk is high in western slopes above 700m. Peak gates will be closed. Knoll (convex) terrain are typical avalanche terrain, better not stimulate these slopes. The snow in the trees is in good shape.
Surface slab avalanche are still likely to occur in open steep south facing slopes above treeline of Chisenupuri and Nitonupuri. Carefully choose your touring route. Better not traverse wide-open slopes. Customers’ safety must be the number one priority for all commercial tour operators. Please be safe. The snow condition is getting better.
Niseko Now 2014-2015 season |
Data as of Thursday 5th March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1023cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 74 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th & 26th December and 11th February) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 196cm reported on 18 days March 2015 snowfall 21cm 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.