Niseko Now: Sunday 7th May 2017
- May 7, 2017
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 0cm
Snowfall at base this season 686cm
Posted on Sunday 7th May 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
Good morning for one last time this season.
So here we are. The last day of the official ski and snowboard season in Niseko.
Alas, as I write this just after 10am, the Niseko Annupuri lifts still aren't operating due to windy conditions and the top lift at Niseko Grand Hirafu is also on hold - though the other lifts at Grand Hirafu that should be moving are operating.
By the end of today the ski lifts will be able to take a rest after a long, long season. And of course, a big otsukaresama deshita to everyone working hard to keep the Niseko season going smoothly too.
Today marks the end of my season too and this is my last report. But before I sign off for the season, a bit of a look back...
A quick look back at the 2016-2017 season
Over the winter, at the beginning of each month I added a monthly review. They all of course still apply so I have decided to keep this wrap up short. Here are my monthly round-ups if you want to go back and read them:
* Niseko Now report and monthly review - 3rd January 2017
* Niseko Now report and monthly review - 1st February 2017
* Niseko Now report and monthly review - 2nd March 2017
* Niseko Now report and monthly review - 1st April 2017
Total observed snowfall for each of the last five seasons. By me.
2016/2017 season: 688cm
2015/2016 season: 992cm
2014/2015 season: 1144cm
2013/2014 season: 1163cm
2012/2013 season: 1493cm
In the end, I observed about 3m less snow at Hirafu base than I did the previous season, and over 4m less than the previous two seasons. As always, remember that my numbers are the snowfall that is observed here at base. You can expect perhaps 1.5 times those amounts at higher altitudes, so I think it's probably safe to guess that there was over 10m of snowfall on the mountain.
7-10m of snowfall in a season may still be what many ski resorts would consider very respectable amounts, but it is less than we expect here in Niseko. As I have mentioned in my monthly round-ups, locals and regulars notice this - we are probably totally spoilt - but first-time visitors probably don't... they just get on with enjoying it!
And thankfully, things tend to keep very cold up here throughout most of the winter and so we do not get the warmer spells and melt as much as resorts on Honshu seem to get. That all helps with keeping the quality (and quantity) of snow.
Now that 2016-2017 is over, it's time to look forward and feel confident that we will reverse the trend of the last few seasons and get back to over 10m at base next season. Let's be totally greedy with our expectations!
For the record, here are the numbers that the Japan Meteorological Agency have recorded in Kutchan Town, a bit lower down than Hirafu:
2016/2017 season until the end of March 2017: 835cm
2015/2016 season until the end of March 2016: 841cm
2014/2015 season until the end of March 2015: 969cm
2013/2014 season until the end of March 2014: 946cm
2012/2013 season until the end of March 2013: 1051cm
As I have mentioned before this season, it’s curious to see how the numbers for 2016-2017 are higher than mine and comparable with last season - and I’m still not sure why. Anyway, interesting stuff all the same.
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It has been my pleasure to once again be in charge of bringing you the SnowJapan Niseko Now reports this season. I hope that you enjoyed reading them, even if they didn’t bring you news of quite as much snow as we would all have liked. I had a fun season and I am pretty sure that most visitors to Niseko did to. Most people I spoke to on the lifts this season seemed to be loving Niseko.
And so they should! Because it's brilliant.
It's now time for me to take a bit of a rest and enjoy the next six months. Come November I should be re-charged and raring to go for the 2017-2018 season.
I hope to see you then.
Bai-bai!
Niseko Now 2016-2017 season |
Data as of Sunday 7th May 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 686cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 85 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (16th December) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 181cm reported on 22 days January 2017 snowfall 152cm reported on 18 days February 2017 snowfall 160cm reported on 19 days March 2017 snowfall 83cm reported on 12 days April 2017 snowfall 0cm May 2017 snowfall 0cm |
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.