Niseko Now: Thursday 7th February 2013
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 1011cm
Weather overview Cloudy
Wind
Moderate
Temperature -4C base / -10C top
Visibility Fair
Posted at 8:47am on Thursday 7th February 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Good morning from Niseko.
0cm of fresh snow this morning. A cloudy start to the day. It's about -4 degrees here in the Hirafu village area.
There's a moderate wind as well this morning which might mean lifts are affected again today. Early on the top lifts at all four ski resorts on the mountain are on hold, as well as the Niseko Gondola at Niseko Village. If conditions improve they might get moving, though the forecast is for the wind to continue and for snow to be falling soon.
This is just my personal observation but it does seem to me that this season we have been affected by wind more than usual...
So, the snow should be falling soon and hopefully continue through into the weekend. Here's hoping for a good amount of fresh snow to report soon.
It seems that yesterday a group of people were ascending Mt Yotei and encountered an avalanche, as mentioned in the Avalance Report this morning. Details are sketchy but apparently one member of the group has a broken femur (now in hospital) and happily there were no fatalities. Yotei is of course not a ski resort area and so you are on your own. It could very probably have been much worse. Another reminder of the real risks and potential dangers.
Take care out there.
Avalanche Information
Niseko base 6am: -7C, no snowfall and calm morning. Moiwa 800m: -7C, no snowfall and no snowdrift development. Annupuri peak: S21.0m/s, -12.5C. Coastal data: SSE8m/s, 1008hPa, calm ocean.
A strong southerly wind is blowing in high altitude and the weather will come in later this morning. According to all data, the general avalanche risk is low. However gate 3 will be closed due to high winds. Other gates are yet determined, please respect the ski patrol's decisions. Although the avalanche risk is low, the mountain is tracked out, beware of tracks and carefully remain in control.
An avalanche accident has occured in Mt. Yotei's Makkari (south) face yesterday. Details not available. Skiing/riding skills will not prevent accidents; in Winter Mountains touring, the leader/guides responsibility consciousness in the decision-making process is extremely important. Avalanches will happen when the conditions allow, and becomes an accident if a person is involved in it. Cautious assessment of the existing risks is required whether in lift-access or hike-access backcountry. Don’t be overconfident of your skills and experiences.
The groomers are hard but nice and fast. Have a nice day.
Niseko Now 2012-2013 season |
Data as of Thursday 7th February 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 1011cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 68 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (27th January) November 2012 snowfall 118cm reported on 11 days December 2012 snowfall 418cm reported on 27 days January 2013 snowfall 443cm reported on 26 days February 2013 snowfall 32cm 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.