Niseko Now: Saturday 7th March 2015
- Mar 7, 2015
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 6cm
Snowfall at base this season 1029cm
Posted on Saturday 7th March 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Ah, here we are at another weekend. The weeks just whiz by don't they.
Thick fog up top apparently and a few lifts not going to be operating at the start of the day due to very poor visibility apparently. The Gondola at Hirafu also is going to be a bit delayed due to some kind of maintenance. Hopefully that will get going quickly.
Some new somewhat wet snow on the ground this morning - I make it 6cm - and light snow has still falling but not much is expected and it will very probably finish up this morning. Definitely limited visibility out there though, even lower down on the mountain.
It feels rather mild too this morning.
We will likely see some sun tomorrow and it will get a bit warmer.
Tuesday through until the end of the week is looking quite tasty at the moment with some significant snowfalls and cold weather lined up on the forecasts. Let's hope that arrives unchanged.
In the meantime, be sure you know where you're going and have a funtastic Saturday.
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Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day
Niseko Grand Hirafu:
Top King Number 4 and Ace Number 4 lifts on hold due to poor visibility. Hirafu Gondola set for a late start due to some maintenance.
Niseko Hanazono:
Plans to be open as normal this morning.
Niseko Village:
Plans to be open as normal this morning.
Niseko Annupuri:
Top Jumbo Number 4 lift may not be moving early due to poor visibility.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Niseko base 6am: 0C, 5cm snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: SE5m/s, 10cm snowfall with moderate snowdrift development, poor visibility, -3C. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 325cm. Hirafu 1000m: mild wind & snow, poor visibility, 5cm snowfall, -5C. Peak 1308m: S2.3m/s, -6.3C. Benkei cape SSW2m/s, Kamui cape ENE4m/s, 1025hPa, calm sea.
The wind is calm under the high-pressure system and a humid snow has blanketed the mountain due to warm air inflow. The wind has slowly drifted snow in knolls and steep slopes above 700m; surface slab slides up to 20cm are likely to occur. Those slides may be thin, but the snow is heavy and is powerful enough to carry a person to the bottom. Potential failure from March 7th layer. The snow in the trees has been partially recovered and in good shape during the morning.
Refrain from riding the valley bottoms. Climax (ground) avalanches hazard, as well as creek holes, are present in Osawa and Kozan no sawa (Backbowl). When falling into creeks, the stream could easily drag you downstream and drown you under snowbridges. Do not traverse open steep slopes under cornices, it could easily trigger a slide. Peak gates are expected to open if the visibility improves. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Still a long way before the end of the season, have a nice day.
Niseko Now 2014-2015 season |
Data as of Saturday 7th March 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 1029cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 75 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 27cm 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.