Niseko Now: Wednesday 7th February 2024
- Feb 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 9cm
Snowfall at base this season 749cm
Posted on Wednesday 7th February 2024 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
After some more pleasant weather yesterday, this morning we wake to a very nice new layer of snow. Just under 10cm by my measurement.
As I write this report it is generally cloudy with light snow falling and visibility looks fairly decent.
It looks like the next few days will be a mix of cloud, light snow and perhaps some clearer skies too. While we probably shouldn't expect large amounts of snowfall, temperatures should be keeping fairly low.
Currently the next decent cm of snow is forecast for around Saturday night.
------------------
Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base: -6C, 10cm snowfall and calm. Moiwa 800m: -9.5C, W1.7m/s, 15cm snowfall with no snowdrift accumulation. Mikaeri 764m: -11C, calm, 15cm snowfall. Annupur 1000m: -10.3C, WNW3.8m/s. Village 1000m: -9.3C, WSW3.5m/s. Hirafu Hanazono: -9.8C, SSW4.9m/s, light drizzle. Hanazono#3: -7.4C, WSW4.2m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW8m/s, Kamui cape WNW7m/s, 1015hPa, 0.7m waves.
A low pressure area in the north Shakotan has brought 10-15cm snowfall in the western aspect of the mountain range. There is no strong development of snowdrifts due to light wind. The snow quality is good as a cold air mass remains up in higher elevation. Light crystal snow. Evaluating all data, the overall avalanche risk is low. Seek for the ski patrol’s advice when stepping out of the gates. Do not forget, you’re making a clear decision to step out of the ski resort responsibilities when going outside the gates. Surface slab avalanches are likely to occur in south facing sun-affected slopes of the Harunotaki and Yunosawa strictly off-limits areas. Do not enter these areas at all times. The most likely cause of death when getting caught in an avalanche is suffocation. Hitting trees or other obstacles on the way down are also common cases. Wearing a beacon will still dramatically raise your chance to survive. No matter the weather conditions, take the habit to always wear a beacon and a helmet when skiing out of bounds. Winter sports are amazing, however it is also true that they are inherently dangerous. Have a nice day.
------------------
Individual ski area information for Wednesday 7th February 2024
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day at the time of writing and subject to change.
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: 330cm (-10cm since yesterday)
- Base: 130cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts apart from King Number 1 pair and King Number 2 quad (normal operations)
- The Ace Family quad, Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four), Hirafu Gondola and Holiday Number 1 pair lifts are scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
------------------
Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 8cm
- Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 270cm (-2cm since yesterday)
- Base: 195cm (-1cm since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
- The Hanazono Symphony Gondola is scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
------------------
Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 210cm (no change since yesterday)
- Base: 180cm (no change since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
- The Jumbo Number 1 quad lift is scheduled to be open until 7:30pm
------------------
Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 268cm (+3cm since yesterday)
- Base: 182cm (+2cm since yesterday)
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts apart from Morino Chair and Country Road
- The Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair are scheduled to be open until 7:00pm
------------------
Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Lifts (scheduled):
- All lifts
------------------
Floodlit night skiing is planned daily until Wednesday 20th March 2024.
Night skiing is usually until 7:00pm at Hirafu, Hanazono, Village and until 7:30pm at Annupuri.
Niseko Now 2023-2024 season |
Data as of Wednesday 7th February 2024 Total snowfall at base so far 749cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 66 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 62cm (8th January) November 2023 snowfall 120cm reported on 11 days December 2023 snowfall 247cm reported on 24 days January 2024 snowfall 298cm reported on 24 days February 2024 snowfall 84cm reported on 7 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.