Niseko Now: Sunday 8th February 2026
- Feb 8
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 6cm
Snowfall at base this season 738cm
Good morning from a cold and sunny Niseko.
Looking over to our east, the beautiful Mt. Yotei is looking particularly fetching this morning and wearing what looks like a flat-cap (cloud) as I write this. Very fashionable.
It is a lovely morning with some nice blue sky (and some cloud). Lots of contrast. It should be a particularly feel-good morning with another modest delivery of snow; again perhaps more to the south/west. Perhaps around 20cm of fresh to enjoy at higher elevations this morning? Annupuri is reporting a winning 25cm; much less at Hanazono, and Hirafu isn't reporting yet.
All lifts set to go and gates expected to open. Even the Country Road one! Yey.
Lots of people lined up waiting as the first lifts get going.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -12℃, calm, 20cm snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -13.9℃, W2.4m/s, 20cm new snow, calm. Annupuri 1100m: -16.1℃, WNW6.3m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -15.5℃, N5.2m/s(15m/s @ 3am). Hanazono 800m: -12.1℃, WNW3.6m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape WNW10m/s, Kamui Cape SW15m/s, 1004hPa, 1.8m waves.
There is a strong cold air inflow; above 1100m a weak front is passing, winds will temporarily increase to a W10m/s with gusts to 15m/s. There is no significant snowdrifts development and the lower 150cm of recent snowfall has consolidated. Tests indicate low avalanche risk. All gates are expected to be open, please follow the patrol instructions. Snowfall: 20cm on the west side, 10cm on the east side, resetting with light crystalline snow. Avoid simultaneous skiing on steep, open slopes. Stay out of the valley bottoms. Avoid cornices, as they can sometimes trigger avalanches. The wind was strong over the last few days and the snow is unevenly distributed. Ski with caution. There is no 100% safety in this sport. Are your beacons on? Do you have a probe, shovel, and short rope? What about emergency food? This information is provided to ensure the safety of off-piste skiers in Niseko. Have a nice day.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 2cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 280cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 200cm (no change since yesterday)
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: ?cm
Base: ?cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 360cm
Base: 155cm
Planned lift operations:
9 of 9 lifts
Ace Gondola, Ace Family quad, King Gondola and King Holiday pair until 7:00pm
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 280cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 160cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Planned lift operations:
8 of 8 lifts
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: 25cm
Base: 25cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 280cm (-10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 190cm (-10cm 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 Sunday 8th February 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 738cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 65 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (on 12th January) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 189cm reported on 23 days January 2026 snowfall 451cm reported on 28 days February 2026 snowfall 69cm 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.