Niseko Now: Monday 9th January 2023
- Jan 9, 2023
- 4 min read
Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido
New snowfall at base 12cm
Snowfall at base this season 458cm
Posted on Monday 9th January 2023 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here
There might only be 10cm or so of it, most of it falling overnight, but it's top quality snow this morning. And, of course, probably a bit more of it as you go higher up.
It doesn't feel too windy, so it should be a very fine morning. As I write this, it's quite bight in some directions and very light snow is falling.
Beyond the snow we are expecting today and into tomorrow, it still looks like the second half of the week is going to be much milder with lots of sunshine.
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Niseko Avalanche Report
Mountain base -4C, 15cm feathery snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -5.8C, WNW2.4m/s, 20cm snowfall, small snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m: -8.1C, W5.8m/s, 20cm snowfall, moderate wind with drifting snow. Mizuno no Sawa: -6.9C, WNW4.1m/s, Hanazono 1000m: -7.8℃, SSE1.4m/s, 15cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW10m/s, Kamui cape WSW12m/s, 1014hPa, 0.9m waves.
The isobars tightened during the morning generating moderate westerly wind and snowfall above 1100m elevation. The weather below 700m and above 1000m is completely different. After evaluating test results and weather data, the overall avalanche risk is low today. 30cm of light feathery snow is blanketing the forests below 1000m. Chair lifts in Niseko were extended from 1000m to 1150m a few decades ago, which increased the number of avalanche accidents. The peak chairs have made accessing the steep slopes above 1000m much easier, and as a result, many people dropped into hazardous slopes and eventually were caught in avalanches. The snow condition is changing every day, every hour. We demand everyone to be humble towards nature and not to be overconfident of their skills. Avalanches run along the gully line, it is best to avoid riding the bottom. The snow is quite fantastic today.
Ducking ropes is strictly prohibited in Niseko. Have you switched your beacon on? Beware of sluffs in steep slopes, and it is highly recommended to avoid simultaneous riding in leeward slopes with soft slabs. Surface slab avalanches are still to be expected in knoll terrains. There will never be 100% safety in this sport. Have a nice day.
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Ski area information for Monday 9th January 2023
The below snow depth and snowfall numbers are manually checked each morning from official sources.
Lift information is the planned operations for the day, weather permitting.
Official snow depth numbers in brackets show the change since previous report.
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 20cm
- Base: 20cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 295cm (+20cm since yesterday)
- Base: 110cm (+10cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Ace Family quad [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Ace Number 2 quad (Center Four) [* open until for 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Ace Number 3 pair
- Ace Number 4 pair
- Hirafu Gondola
- Holiday Number 1 pair
- King Number 3 quad
- King Number 4
- Swinging Monkey
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Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 18cm
- Base: 15cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 220cm (+10cm since yesterday)
- Base: 180cm (+10cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Hanazono Number 1
- Hanazono Number 2 quad
- Hanazono Number 3 quad
- Hanazono Symphony Gondola [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
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Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 0cm
- Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 160cm (+10cm since yesterday)
- Base: 130cm (+5cm since yesterday)
Lifts:
- Annupuri Gondola
- Dream Number 1 quad
- Jumbo Number 1 quad [* open until 7:30pm for night skiing]
- Jumbo Number 2 pair
- Jumbo Number 3 pair [* normally open on weekends and holidays]
- Jumbo Number 4 pair
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Niseko Village Ski Resort
Official 24 hours snowfall (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 0cm
- Base: 0cm
Official snow depth (reported by the ski area):
- Peak: 135cm (no change since yesterday)
- Base: 125cm (no change yesterday)
Lifts:
- Niseko Gondola
- Village Express
- Community Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Banzai Chair [* open until 7:00pm for night skiing]
- Wonderland Chair
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Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
Lifts:
- Number 1 pair lift
- Number 2 pair lift
- Quad lift
Niseko Now 2022-2023 season |
Data as of Monday 9th January 2023 Total snowfall at base so far 458cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 41 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 22cm (2nd January) November 2022 snowfall 17cm reported on 5 days December 2022 snowfall 336cm reported on 27 days January 2023 snowfall 105cm 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.