Niseko Now: Wednesday 7th January 2026
- Jan 7
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 10cm
Snowfall at base this season 308cm
Good morning from Niseko.
Yesterday we had spells of bright sunny skies but it was snowing again from around lunchtime and quite heavily at times. The snow eased off as it was getting dark with clearer skies.
This morning I have another 10cm to add to my reports.
There is a mix of cloud and blue sky and sun this morning. Very nice. Today might be relatively mild, but tomorrow is set to be colder once again and there's more snow due.
I like the consistency of 2026 so far!
I have been keeping my beady eye (as I only have one) on the 'daily new snowfall' data posted by Niseko Village ski area on the official Niseko United website. There have been one or two days when it shows signs of life, but almost every day it's just 0cm - even on the days when there is clearly new snowfall to report across the mountain. Like today. I almost wish I had kept an ongoing record of it. Are they just not interested? Can't be bothered? Not enough staff? I realise most people aren't anywhere near as nerdy as I am on these things, but it still seems really lazy. And surely new snowfall each morning is actually a number of importance to a lot of skiers and snowboarders? (Can of worms arguing about specific numbers aside!)
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base -10℃, light wind, 15cm snowfall, good visibility. Moiwa 800m: -10.6℃, SSW1.6m/s, 20cm snowfall, no snowdrifts. Annupuri 1100m: -12.8℃, WSW4.0m/s. Village: -11.5℃, W4.4m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -12.1℃, N8.0m/s, 10cm snowfall. Hanazono 800m: -9.2℃, SSW5.5m/s. Sea of Japan Benkei cape: SSW5m/s, Kamui cape: SSW9m/s, 1014hPa, 1.0m waves.
A weak pressure gradient ahead of the low-pressure system has brought calm conditions to both the sea and the mountains. No new wind slabs have developed, and based on our observations and data, the overall avalanche risk is low. Gates are expected to open; please follow the instructions of the ski patrol.
The Niseko Rules were established to govern out-of-bounds skiing and prevent accidents. However, the National Forestry Agency does not formally approve this Rule under fundamental laws; they just tacitly tolerate it. In reality, the inherent risks of the winter mountains are the same whether you are just outside the ski resort boundary or deep in the backcountry. The Niseko Avalanche Information is issued to provide objective data to help prevent accidents both in the resort surroundings and the wider mountain range. Ultimately, the final judgment rests with the individual. This information is intended to assist not only resort users but all mountain enthusiasts in making their own risk assessments in the field. Most avalanche accidents occur when heavy slabs, created by heavy snowfall and wind-driven snow, collapse under their own weight along intertwined lines of weakness within the slabs—regardless of the presence of a prominent weak layer.
The snow today isn’t deep, but it is excellent. Watch out for tree collisions. They’re stronger than you. Do you have your beacon and shovel? Do you have your probe? Stay alert for sudden weather changes. Have a great day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 10cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 180cm
Base: 115cm
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: 15cm
Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 240cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 80cm (-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 (no 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 (no 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 Wednesday 7th January 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 308cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 37 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 90cm 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.