Niseko Now: Sunday 8th March 2026
- Mar 8
- 3 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 5cm
Snowfall at base this season 851cm
Cloudy with some light snow at the moment and I can report some more fresh snow. Yey. Let's keep it coming.
Unfortunately the top lifts are all on hold again at the start of the day. Over at Annupuri, at 8:30am only the Dream quad is opening on time.
Anyway, that's all I got this morning. Until tomorrow!
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Moiwa base 6am: -1℃, 10cm new snow, occasional drifting snow. Moiwa 800m: -4.12℃, NNW13.7m/s, snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -6.1℃, NNW6.5m/s. Village 1000m: -4.8℃, N8.3m/s. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -5.5℃, NNE11.9m/s. Hanazono 800m: -7.6℃, N7.9m/s. Coastal data: Benkei Cape N15m/s, Kamui Cape NE8m/s, 1010hPa, wave n/a.
We are to the west of a 989hPa low pressure system in the Sea of Okhotsk. There are northerly winds and snow blowing above 700m. Although the snowfall is light, cornices and snowdrifts are forming in some areas. Observations and assessments indicate a high overall avalanche risk, and all peak gates will be closed. All types of avalanches are dangerous, but the transition to spring is prone to heavy surface avalanches caused by skiers stimulating wet snow. It’s best to avoid skiing on open, steep slopes, like the HigashiOne/East Ridge cornice slope or the steep slopes of Moiwa Bowl. Rising snow temperatures also increase the risk of full-depth avalanches. On the slopes west of the Sasano peak and on the Goshiki Onsen side, there’s a risk of large-scale avalanches reaching the prefectural road. Similarly, the risk of full-depth avalanches from the side walls of Kozan-no-sawa/Back Bowl and Annupuri Osawa, at around 1100m, will likely increase. As the song of the Academic Alpine Club of Hokkaido (AACH) says, “Until the avalanches in the valley subside and the snow melts,” you should not stay at the bottom of the valley. This sport requires wisdom. Nature doesn’t discriminate. Do not duck ropes.
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 5cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 295cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 177cm (-3cm 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: 5cm
Base: 5cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 375cm (+5cm change since yesterday)
Base: 110cm (no change since yesterday)
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: 255cm (+10cm change since yesterday)
Base: 150cm (no 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: 15cm
Base: 10cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
Peak: 325cm (no change since yesterday)
Base: 140cm (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 Sunday 8th March 2026 Total snowfall at base so far 851cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 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 154cm reported on 19 days March 2026 snowfall 28cm reported on 6 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.