Niseko Now: Saturday 9th February 2019
- Feb 9, 2019
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 18cm
Snowfall at base this season 805cm
Posted on Saturday 9th February 2019 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
It's another extremely cold morning up here in Hokkaido and snow continues to fall. And I have another 18cm of fresh to add to my report. That number doesn't convey the quality of the snow, which is really nice dry powder. Good quality consistent snowfall. Lovely. And wind does not feel like it is going to be naughty and causing issues with lift operations today.
The lines are long for the first lifts this morning.
Monday is National Foundation Day in Japan. Here's a bit of background
"National Foundation Day was first held in 1967 as a day to reflect on the establishment of the nation and to nurture a love for the country. From 1872 to 1948, February 11 was known as Kigen-setsu, a holiday commemorating the day on which—according to the Nihon Shoki—Emperor Jimmu is said to have acceded the throne in 660 BCE".
So now you know. It means that it's a 3-day long weekend for many in Japan and traditionally one of the more popular weekends for a ski trip in peak season.
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Also this weekend, the last chance to check out the famous Sapporo Snow Festival which runs through until Monday. This year it has been the 70th year of the festival, held over three areas in the city - the Odori Site, Susukino Site and Tsudome Site.
I hear that some people visiting yesterday were themselves turning into ice sculptures, it was so cold.
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Niseko Avalanche Report:
Mountain base 6am: -15℃, 10cm snowfall in 12h, calm. Moiwa800m: -15.1℃, WSW1.7m/s, light development of snowdrifts. Mikaeri junction: -15℃, light snowdrift. Annupuri 1120m snow depth 230cm. Hirafu peak: -16℃, some gusts blowing at 800m elevation. Mizuno no sawa: no data. Suttsu weather station: -7.2℃, WNW3.1m/s, 59cm snow depth. Kutchan: -15.7℃, ENE2.0m/s, 181cm snow depth. Benkei cape: NW15m/s, Kamui cape: WSW9m/s, 1018hPa, 1.8m waves.
15+m/s storm have passed and the snowdrifts are stabilizing. The overall avalanche risk is lowering, however slides caused by falling cornices are still to be considered. All gates are scheduled to open from the morning. Listen to the ski patrol’s instructions and be prepared for the backcountry before stepping out of the gates. The snow much faster than yesterday. Beware of hitting trees. Many cracks are starting to form in various places, but are difficult to see from above. Be careful in steep open faces and knoll terrains.
Is your beacon switched on? Do you have a shovel and a probe?
Wearing a helmet is highly recommended. There is no 100% safety in the mountains. Be always prudent. Cold temps continues. Have a great day.
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Ski resort operation information: Saturday 9th February 2019
Subject to change due to weather conditions
Niseko Grand Hirafu
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 360cm
- Base: 155cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts are planning operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Ace Family quad (until 8:30pm), Ace Center 4 quad (8:20pm), Hirafu Gondola (until 8:10pm) and Holiday Number 1 pair (until 8:30pm) lifts are normally open during the evening
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 260cm
- Base: 220cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts are planning operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Hanazono lifts are normally open until 3:50pm (Number 3 until 3:30pm)
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Niseko Annupuri
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 300cm
- Base: 150cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts are planning operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Jumbo 1 lift is normally open until 8:30pm during the evening
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Niseko Village
Official snow depth (reported by resort):
- Peak: 305cm
- Base: 165cm
Ski lifts operating:
- All lifts are planning operating as normal at the start of the day
- The Upper Village Gondola, Village Express and Banzai Chair lifts are normally open until 8:00pm during the evening
Niseko Now 2018-2019 season |
Data as of Saturday 9th February 2019 Total snowfall at base so far 805cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 68 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (29th December) November 2018 snowfall 84cm reported on 8 days December 2018 snowfall 333cm reported on 26 days January 2019 snowfall 285cm reported on 25 days February 2019 snowfall 103cm reported on 9 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.