Niseko Now: Tuesday 6th January 2026
- Jan 6
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 8cm
Snowfall at base this season 298cm
The snow clouds remain with another 10cm or so since yesterday and it coming down moderately now at 8:30am.
Forecasts are looking good for consistent incoming, too, over the coming week.
And I don't have any other thoughts this morning. Which, in one way, is a good thing!
(There's not data published from Hanazono this morning in time for this report).
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base: -10℃, 10cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -13.2℃, NW3.7m/s, 15cm snowfall, small snowdrift development, good visibility. Annupuri 1100m: -15.4℃, WNW5.4m/s, 15cm snowfall, cornice and snowdrifts developments. Village 1000m: -14.2℃, WNW2.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -14.6℃, N1.5m/s, 5cm snowfall, calm. Hanazono 800m: -12.1℃, N1.2m/s, light snowfall. Sea of Japan Benkei cape: NW9m/s, Kamui cape: N7m/s, 1010hPa, 1.1m.
Both sea and mountains are calm, with a strong cold air inflow. 10-15cm Light crystal snowfall. Heavy snowdrifts accumulated until yesterday have consolidated and stabilized. Based on observations and data evaluation, the overall avalanche risk is low. The south-facing, strictly off-limits area of Haru-no-taki has developed a thin crust due to solar radiation. There is a risk that triggering could cause the entire slab to fracture. Dangerous. Do not duck ropes and sneak into strictly off-limits areas behind the back of the ski patrols. Yesterday, a rider crashed into a tree while riding from the summit. Hirafu Patrol rescued them, but the transport was difficult due to insufficient snow. We are grateful for the ski patrol’s effort.
Beware of collisions. Do not climb back up immediately after exiting the Moiwa gate 6. Guiding beginners here invites accidents in Anbetsu. This is a ski area; one person’s selfish action can lead to an accident. Avalanche danger is ever-present in Kozan-no-sawa, Oosawa cornice slopes, and Higashi-One. Many people are in the valley. Do not trigger an avalanche. Be considerate of others. Is your beacon on? There is no safety in this sport. Have a good day. The snow is good.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: ?cm
Base: ?cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 183cm
Base: 120cm
Planned lift operations:
4 of 4 lifts
Gondola until 7:00pm
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Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 235cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 85cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
8 of 9 lifts (not Ace 4)
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
Planned open courses:
Courses not open are Large, Konayuki and Miharashi
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 165cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 80cm (no change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
7 of 8 lifts (not Country Road)
Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair until 7:00pm
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 160cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 100cm (-30cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
6 of 6 lifts
Jumbo Number 1 quad until 7:30pm
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Planned lift operations:
3 of 3 lifts
Niseko Now2025-2026 season |
Data as of Tuesday 6th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 298cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 36 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (on 12th December and 2nd January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 80cm reported on 6 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.