Good morning and I have another 18cm of snow to report this morning from here in base. Feeling nice and cold and the snow condition is looking good. Nice and dry.

A bit more of the mountain is opening up this morning with the resorts trying to open as many courses as they can. I would expect more still for the weekend especially if we get a bit more snow during the day today... and we expecting it today and tomorrow, with the snow clouds easing off from Sunday.

Colder conditions are expected to continue over the next few days, so be sure to wrap up and go out prepared. It looks like things might get slightly warmer again early in the week but hopefully not like we saw in the period previous to this snowfall.

More people are continuing to arrive in the Niseko area now and Christmas just one week away! It's a good job that more terrain is opening up. Hopefully not long now before it's all open.

Anyway it should be a good weekend!

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Niseko Avalanche Report

Niseko base 6am: -3℃, snowing. 20cm of fresh snow in 12 hours without notable development of snowdrifts. The wind is stagnating around 10-15m/s westerly at 1000m elevation. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW12m/s, Kamui cape WSW10m/s, 1016hPa, 2.1m waves.

A typical winter pressure pattern is generating snow. The pressure gradient is small ad wind remains light accordingly. The snowdrifts are developing but stabilizing quickly. However, 50cm slab slides from Dec 12th layer are still to be considered in south facing cliffs and off-limits areas. Do not duck ropes and stimulate these aspects. Most of the avalanche accidents occur in leeward steep slopes with heavy deposit of snowdrifts during storms.

The conditions are getting better, but the snowpack is still shallow. Beware of stumps and bushes. Gates opening will take while.

This information is released for the sake of all resort users. Always stay humble in the mountains and think safety first.

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Resort specific news as of 8:45am - subject to change during the day

The lifts market with an asterix (*) below are planned to be open for night skiing

Niseko Grand Hirafu
Lifts planned to be running:
- Ace Family pair*
- Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four (for transport)
- Ace Number 3 pair
- Hirafu Gondola (for transport)
- King Number 3 triple
- Holiday Number 1 pair
- Swinging Monkey
Courses planned to be open:
- Family
- Beginners access
- Center
- Shirakaba
- Green
- Kokutai (upper part)
- Alpen
- Sennoki
- Kogen
- Boyo
- Holiday
- Rinkan (part)
- Jumbo

Niseko HANAZONO Resort
Lifts planned to be running:
- Hanazono Number 1 quad
- Hanazono Number 2 quad
- Hanazono Number 3 quad
Courses planned to be open:
- Connecting
- Parallel
- Silver Dream
- Stairway to Heaven
- Setsuzoku course
- Crystal Garden
- Yotei Sunset (ungroomed)

Niseko Village
Lifts planned to be operating:
- Niseko Gondola
- Community Chair*
- Banzai Chair*

Niseko Annupuri
Lifts planned to be operating:
- Annupuri Gondola
- Jumbo Number 1 quad*
- Jumbo Number 2 pair
- Jumbo Number 3 pair
Courses planned to be open:
- Utopia
- Shirakaba
- Paradise
- Junior
- Family
- Dynamic
- Silver

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Official resort snow depths as of 18th December 2015:

Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 175cm
Base - 60cm

Niseko Village:
Top - 70cm
Base - 40cm

Niseko Annupuri:
Top - 70cm
Base - 60cm

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Niseko Grand Hirafu 6 day weather and snow forecast