Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 424cm Posted on Friday 15th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here . Hello and good morning from Yuzawa. Some rain lingering this morning but it's due to be a fine day with sunshine though temperatures not getting much higher than about 10 degrees - which is what it is now. There are some strong winds up on the mountainsides though this morning. While GALA Yuzawa does not seem to be affected (and open as planned), Kagura is affected - open from the Mitsumata Ropeway to Kagura Number 1 lift. The Tashiro area is closed. Sunshine and warmer conditions are forecast for tomorrow, with temperatures rising to maybe around 20 degrees. There should be less wind as well and so expect both Kagura and GALA Yuzawa to be open as normal. --- Resorts that remain open in Yuzawa on Friday 15th April 2016): GALA Yuzawa GALA Yuzawa resort plans to be open until Sunday 8th May. Two (Edelweiss and Melody) of the six courses in the Central Area, the 'playing in the snow area', and the Broadway course in the Northern Area currently remain open. The downhill Falcon course back to the Cowabunga base is now closed. Official snow depth: 70cm Kagura The Tashiro Ropeway plans to be open until 8th May. The Kagura area via Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be open until 29th May. Most courses remain open apart from the Gondola east course The downhill course to Mitsumata car park is now closed. Official snow depth: Kagura area - 190cm Tashiro area - 160cm Mitsumata area - 90cm --- Resorts that are not listed below are now closed for the season. Yuzawa Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Friday 15th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 424cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 44 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (10th February) November 2015 snowfall 0cm December 2015 snowfall 92cm reported on 7 days January 2016 snowfall 143cm reported on 18 days February 2016 snowfall 151cm reported on 14 days March 2016 snowfall 38cm reported on 5 days April 2016 snowfall 0cm Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 424cm Posted on Friday 8th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here . Good morning from Yuzawa. And it's definitely better than yesterday with dry conditions to start the day but lots of cloud. Whether the sun will appear later on or not we'll just have to wait and see. Both GALA Yuzawa and Kagura open as planned this morning. What else is there? Looking to the weekend we can probably expect sunshine and quite warm conditions on both Saturday and Sunday. --- Resorts that remain open in Yuzawa on Friday 8th April 2016): GALA Yuzawa GALA Yuzawa resort plans to be open until Sunday 8th May. Four of the six courses in the Central Area and one course in the Northern Area currently remain open. The downhill Falcon course back to the Cowabunga base is now closed. Official snow depth: 90cm Kagura The Tashiro Ropeway plans to be open until 8th May. The Kagura area via Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be open until 29th May. All areas currently remain open apart from the Gondola east course and the downhill course back to Mitsumata car park which is now closed. Official snow depth: Kagura area - 220cm Tashiro area - 190cm Mitsumata area - 160cm --- Resorts that are not listed below are now closed for the season. Yuzawa Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Friday 8th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 424cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 44 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (10th February) November 2015 snowfall 0cm December 2015 snowfall 92cm reported on 7 days January 2016 snowfall 143cm reported on 18 days February 2016 snowfall 151cm reported on 14 days March 2016 snowfall 38cm reported on 5 days April 2016 snowfall 0cm Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma region of Niigata New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 424cm Posted on Saturday 23rd April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Yuzawa Now report can be found here . The sun is out and there is lots of blue sky this morning. Just a bit of cloud here and there and already a warm 18C degrees here in town. More fine weather is forecast for tomorrow so weather wise we are all good for the weekend it would seem. The big news today is that the GALA Yuzawa resort have made the decision that tomorrow - Sunday 24th April - is going to be their last day of the season. They will be open today and tomorrow with the Melody course (on snow mats) and a small sledge area remaining open. It almost seems inevitable with the snow situation that they have been faced with. That also means that from Monday morning it will be just Kagura that remains open. Their plan has always been to remain open until 29th May and they still have that on their official information, but with that over a full month away I think that there must be a fairly good chance that they also will be cutting that short. We shall see... Have a good weekend. --- Upcoming Golden Week holidays: * Friday 29th April - Sunday 1st May (3 day long weekend) * Tuesday 3rd May - Thursday 5th May (3 day holiday mid-week) * Saturday 7th May - Sunday 8th May (normal weekend) --- Resorts that remain open in Yuzawa on Saturday 23rd April 2016): GALA Yuzawa GALA Yuzawa resort have announced that they will remain open until tomorrow, Sunday 24th April. The Melody course - with artificial 'snow mats' - and sledging area are open. Note that skiing and snowboarding on natural snow is now no longer possible at GALA. Kagura The Tashiro Ropeway plans to be open until 8th May. The Kagura area via Mitsumata Ropeway plans to be open until 29th May. The Mitsumata area is now used as a 'connecting course' to get to and from the main Kagura area with some snow remaining, under which is the artificial 'snow brush'. Most of the main Kagura courses remain open with natural snow. Note that the top Kagura Number 5 pair lift will be open through Sunday 24th April. Official snow depth: Kagura area: 160cm Tashiro area: 130cm Mitsumata area: -cm --- Resorts that are not listed above are now closed for the season. Yuzawa Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Saturday 23rd April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 424cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 44 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 34cm (10th February) November 2015 snowfall 0cm December 2015 snowfall 92cm reported on 7 days January 2016 snowfall 143cm reported on 18 days February 2016 snowfall 151cm reported on 14 days March 2016 snowfall 38cm reported on 5 days April 2016 snowfall 0cm Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Yuzawa. 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 25cm Snowfall at base this season 419cm Posted on Wednesday 24th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Another fine snowy morning here in Niseko with about 25cm fresh on the ground once more outside my place here in Hirafu. Going to be more than that up there, so conditions should be top notch again today on the mountain. It's still coming down very nicely now so refills aplenty during the day... and tomorrow and Friday by the looks. A steady supply of fresh light snow, nice. (Oh yes, just to update what I was reporting yesterday - the JMA snowfall number for December 2014 in Kutchan has now gone over that for December 2013. Keep it coming!) It's not as cold again here at base, just around -3C degrees now, with resorts reporting low temperatures at peak of -8C. Wind doesn't look like it's going to cause lift disruptions this morning. I'm hearing that Gates 5 and 6 should be opening very soon, bit more on that down in the Avalanche Report below. Top lifts at Hirafu, Village and Annupuri not yet moving but hopefully it's going to open soon. It being Christmas, there's a number of events going on. Santa should be found on the slopes today and tomorrow. Whether he will be skiing or snowboarding, unconfirmed! But apparently he will have some 'delicious presents' to give to some people who meet him. That's over at Hirafu anyway. I've got a feeling that he might be spotted elsewhere as well. Fireworks. Who doesn't like fireworks? Well, apart from my dog. Pets are advised to keep away from 9:15pm tonight when there'll be a firework display at Hirafu after the night skiing has finished. I have no doubt that once that lot has finished there will be further frivolity at various establishments around the village and beyond as well. Have fun. Wrap up well. Don't drink too much, etc. It may sound strange but in past seasons there have been very sad accidents happen late at night. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Niseko Grand Hirafu looks set to start the day as planned, top Ace Number 4 and King Number 4 lifts not moving yet. Niseko Hanazono: All Niseko Hanazono lifts will be open as normal. Niseko Village: Four lifts open as normal, top Wonderland Chair lift not moving yet. Niseko Annupuri: Four lifts open as normal, top Jumbo Number 4 lift not moving yet. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -3C, 30cm of crystal snowfall in the past 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: -4C, mild wind, 40cm of fresh, snowdrift development and 30m visibility. Annupuri 1150m: -6C, strong wind, 30cm of new snow and notable development of snowdrifts. Snowpack 140cm at 1000m. Hirafu 1000m: -5C, 30cm of fresh and light development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNE9m/s, Kamui cape N5m/s, 1010hPa and 1.4m waves. Typical heavy snowfall (30-40cm) of an approaching low-pressure system. The wind in high-altitude is strong, but mild around 800m and the snowdrifts development is relatively slim. Visibility is poor. This thick new layer of low-pressure generated snow often collapses even without notable weak layers. Beware of slides in steep knolls and cornice slopes. Depending on the chairlifts operation, Gate 5 (Hanazono) and 6 (Moiwa) will open today. Seek for the ski patrol’s advice before stepping out of bounds. Carrying avalanche gear is strongly recommended. Many hazards are present in the out of bounds area. Always remain prudent and think safety first. Always ride one by one and stay away from gully bottom. The snow in the trees is in good shape. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 270cm Base - 120cm Niseko Village: Top - 170cm Base - 120cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 140cm Base - 110cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift. There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area. Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 24th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 419cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 26 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 389cm reported on 21 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 364cm Posted on Monday 22nd December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It's a really very - very - cold morning here in the Niseko area. My thermometer says -10C. Niseko Village has a low on their report of -16C. The numbers look cold and it sure feels cold too. I bring news of fresh snow on the ground as well with 20cm at my base here and as you can see on the Avalanche Report below, 25-30cm being reported on the mountain. Lower areas could do with that again (and again, sorry for being greedy!) to freshen things up good and proper. Unfortunately, the strong winds are still with us. Not as much as yesterday morning and this morning it's not affecting lifts like it was yesterday. Forecast for the coming few days is slightly less cold and generally cloudy conditions with snow continuing to fall on and off. --- Regular readers of Niseko Now will know that sometimes we look at the snowfall numbers that have been reported in Kutchan Town by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Just for a bit of fun. These are the official data recorded by JMA in Kutchan Town - not on the mountain, which usually gets considerably more snowfall. But as it's a constant that we can compare year to year, it's something that is of interest. Anyway, last season here's the snowfall recorded in early season November 2013: 99cm December 2013: 258cm And here's the same this year: December 2014: 41cm December 2014: 237cm Of course, we were disappointed with November this year, but as you can see with over a week left for December we are only 21cm off the number from last season for the whole month. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Other than a problem with the Family Lift that they hope to get sorted quickly, Hirafu looks to be opening lifts as ppanned - Gondola running at slower speed. Niseko Hanazono: Niseko Hanazono looks set to start the day as planned. Niseko Village: Niseko Village looks set to start the day as planned. Niseko Annupuri: Annupuri Gondola not operating due to wind conditions. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -11C, 10cm of broken crystal snow. Moiwa 800m: -13C, NW20m/s, 30cm of new snow. Annupuri 1150m: -18C, W20m/s, 25cm of fresh. 1000m altitude snowpack 135cm. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW23m/s, Kamui cape WSW19m/s, 1002hPa, 3.1m waves. The atmospheric pressure gradient remains steep and the storm is persisting. Cornices and snowdrifts are developing and the avalanche risk is high in leeward knolls and cornice slopes around 700m. Avalanches mostly occur in heavy snowdrift slopes during and just after storms, and become an accident if somebody is involved in it. Do not duck ropes to seek fresh lines. One track left under the rope will lead many others to follow it and increase the chances of accidents to happen. Out of bounds access from the resort is still restricted. Avalanche risk is also high everywhere else in the Niseko backcountry area. Carefully chose your tour route. Snowdrift slabs take some time to stabilize after the storm settles down. Precaution is key to safety. Beautiful conditions in the trees today. Beware of frostbite. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 230cm Base - 95cm Niseko Village: Top - 150cm Base - 110cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 135cm Base - 110cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift. There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area. Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Monday 22nd December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 364cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 24 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 334cm reported on 19 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 45cm Snowfall at base this season 484cm Posted on Friday 26th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Huge amounts of fresh snowfall to report this morning as it keeps on coming down. 40-45cm outside my place, resorts on the mountain report that and more. 60cm on the upper areas of the mountain this morning? Very probably. Amazing. When Niseko is firing on all cylinders like it is now, it's really impressive stuff. Being here for a long time doesn't damper that feeling at all. Snow to ease off maybe later on in the day today or early tomorrow and there might even be some sunshine over the weekend. Still looks like it will warm up slightly through early in the week before more significant snow arrives. I think some people would enjoy a bit of a break from the full-on conditions and get the chance to see the beauty of the areas and not just of the snow on the slopes. Not for long though of course; we always want more snow round the corner. King Number 4 lift and Dynamic Course opening at Niseko Grand Hirafu today meaning that all of the courses at that resort area are now open. Similarly, with the Panorama Course opening at Niseko Annupuri, all of the courses there are open too. Lots of folk lined up for the opening of the lifts this morning eager to get out and enjoy the snow. Who would blame them! It has certainly been a very merry Christmas for people lucky to be here at the moment. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: King Number 4 lift to start moving today. Dynamic course now open meaning that all of the courses at Hirafu are now open. Niseko Hanazono: All Niseko Hanazono lifts will be open as normal. Niseko Village: Top Wonderland Chair now open, resort open as planned. Niseko Annupuri: Panorama Course open from today - meaning that all of the courses at Annupuri are now open. All lifts open too. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -8C, 40cm of overnight snowfall. Moiwa 600m: -10C, 50cm of light crystal snow on the course. Annupuri 1150m: -13C, 60cm of fresh. Hirafu 1000m: -10C, 60cm of fresh. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW19m/s, Kamui cape NNE11m/s, 1010hPa, 2.0m waves. Heavy dump of light snow generated by a typical winter weather pattern. The atmospheric pressure gradient is shelving and the snowdrifts are yet to largely develop under 900m altitude, however drastic development of snowdrifts are forecasted as the storm picks up. High altitude open slopes should be avoided today. The avalanche hazard in Higashi-One (East ridge) and Osawa 1000m line remains high. The snow in the trees is good, but too deep. Better stay close to the courses today. Gates 5 & 6 are scheduled to open. An access route between Moiwa and Annupuri has been made yesterday, however this is a connecting route for rescue purposes and will not be groomed. This route will be inaccessible when gate 6 is closed as it is outside the resort boundary. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Please beware of overspeeding and loosing control on the courses. Snowcats have been having difficulties grooming due to the heavy amount of snowfall. Have a safe day. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 300cm Base - 160cm Niseko Village: Top - 190cm Base - 130cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 165cm Base - 130cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift (There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area) Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Friday 26th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 484cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 28 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 454cm reported on 23 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 344cm Posted on Sunday 21st December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Rain! Noooooo! We don't like rain, oh no. Sadly in the afternoon yesterday we got served up with rain which continued to fall overnight as well. Not the best introduction to Niseko for the many people who are probably here for their first taste of the resort that's for sure. Happily this morning temperatures have dropped somewhat and it has been snowing... quite heavily in fact as I write this. As well as the snow though, some strong winds as well this morning. Take into account the less than perfect conditions due to the rain; the wind; the limited visibility and only a limited number of lifts and courses open this morning; and it all adds up to not one of the best days. Time for a soak in the onsen perhaps. The good news is that now it has turned into snow it should continue today and tomorrow as well. In fact, it's generally snowy conditions forecast through the coming week, so conditions should hopefully improve quite quickly. From today I have changed things up a bit in the report, and will note any resort-specific news in the area below if there is any that I can find to share. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Just the low Holiday Number 1 lift and Ace Number 1 Pair lift moving at the moment due to weather conditions. Niseko Hanazono: Operation of all 3 lifts temporarily suspended. Niseko Village: The Niseko Gondola is not moving due to the winds. Community, Banzai and Morino Chair lifts open as normal. Niseko Annupuri: All lifts on hold as of 8:30am due to strong wind conditions. They will open if and when conditions improve. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -4C, heavy snowfall from before 6am. Moiwa 600m: westerly gusts, poor visibility and snowdrifts starting to develop. Annupuri 1150m: -12C, W15-25m/s with snowfall. Icy and dodgy condition from 400m altitude on down. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW19m/s at 5:25am, Kamui cape WSW21m/s, 999hPa and 1.8m waves. Westerly 25m/s winds are forecasted at 1500m level at noon. The temperature dropped and a westerly storm started as the cold front passed around midnight. A 20-30m/s wind with heavy snowfall is blowing above 600m from 5am, snowdrifts will develop drastically and the avalanche hazard will rise accordingly. A track across the rope of closed gate 6, heading to Mikaeri area was found yesterday. Keep in mind that out of bounds access from ski resorts is still officially prohibited in Japan. Niseko’s gate system is quite unique and is actually still an experimental grey area. Respecting the Niseko Rules is the only way to protect the freedom to step out of bounds, as well as keeping the minimum safety of all guests. Many seem to understand the situation and remain patient until the gates open, but it is a shame to see that some still disregards a simple rule. "Freedom" is not easy to obtain and should not be misperceived. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 210cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village: Top - 150cm Base - 100cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 135cm Base - 110cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift. There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area. Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Sunday 21st December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 344cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 23 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 314cm reported on 18 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 439cm Posted on Thursday 25th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Top lifts open for Christmas! More fresh snow. 20+cm outside my place, resort areas reporting 30cm. Yes, it's very good morning from Niseko and... Merry Christmas! A cold Christmas morning - no wonder Santa has that big bushy beard - and not so much wind this morning. It's still snowing though only lightly, with more due during the day today and tomorrow. So, top lifts open at Niseko Grand Hirafu (well, the Ace Number 4), Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri. All should be moving this morning with Gate 4 also scheduled to be open today as well. Looking ahead, from Saturday we can expect the snow clouds to clear and maybe we'll have some sunny conditions to enjoy. Looks like a milder spell from the weekend too, hopefully it won't warm up too much. Have a great day everyone and all the best for the holidays wherever you are reading this from in the world. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: From today, the Ace Number 4 Pair lift will be open. Original plan was for King Number 4 lift to open but due to the 'discouraging' (!?) condition of the Dynamic Course, they've changed that plan. Curious to know more on that! Anyway, the Large Course and Miharashi Courses are now open. Dynamic Course aside, not 'fully open', I do believe. Niseko Hanazono: All Niseko Hanazono lifts will be open as normal. Niseko Village: Top Wonderland Chair now open - opened yesterday from around 10am actually. Niseko Annupuri: Top Jumbo Number 4 lift now open. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -8C, 30cm of snowfall in 12 hours, calm morning. Moiwa 800m: -12C, 20cm of fresh snow and development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: -13C, 30cm and development of snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: -13C, 20cm of fresh snow and development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW12m/s, Kamui cape WSW10m/s, 1008hPa, 1.2m waves. A mild winter weather pattern with a moderate westerly wind is prevailing, making snowdrifts develop in areas above 800m. The snow under treeline is in good shape, but 40cm slides from 23rd depth hoar layer are to be expected in steep slopes along the valley. Gate 4 is scheduled to open today at a lower elevation, however avalanche hazard still remains high in NE areas of 1000m altitude. High-traversing all the way to the slopes under Higashi-One (east ridge) cornices is strongly discouraged. Listen to the ski patrol’s instructions and always use gates to step out of bounds. Carrying and knowing how to use avalanche gears (beacon, probe & shovel) is strongly advised. The visibility is fluctuating. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 280cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 170cm Base - 120cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 150cm Base - 120cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift (There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area) Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Thursday 25th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 439cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 27 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 409cm reported on 22 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 25cm Snowfall at base this season 509cm Posted on Saturday 27th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here The snow continued once again through the day yesterday with a few people asking me 'does it ever stop'? It has actually stopped this morning after continuing yesterday. Not much extra overnight but leaving us with another 25-30cm or so since my report yesterday morning. Isn't it just great when we can report that much snow so often. Let's not get complacent though, even Niseko can go through dry periods. Happily we don't seem to be up for one of them at the moment. OK so back to this morning. Temperatures remain low this morning. It's fairly calm here in the village area, though perhaps some gusty winds up on the mountain. Resorts look likely to be open as planned this morning though... although looks like there's a few lifts running at reduced speed and the top Niseko Village Wonderland lift delayed? There's a bit of blue sky opening up now and the sun even peeking through just now in places. Oh no, hold on, hidden again by cloud.... so, changeable conditions as you can see early this morning. Clearing skies expected today and tomorrow, along with a slightly milder spell tomorrow and into early next week before we get back to more snow. Enjoy the weekend. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to be open as planned, top lift Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to be open as planned, though top lift operating at reduced speed. Niseko Village: Looks set to be open as planned. Delayed opening for top Wonderland lift? Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to be open as planned. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -7C, 20cm of fresh snow and calm morning. Moiwa 800m: -10C, NW10m/s, 30cm snowfall with moderate snowdrift development and good visibility. Annupuri 1150m: -11C, W10m/s with snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: -12C, 20cm of new snow in 12 hours. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW9m/s, Kamui cape WSW9m/s, 1020hPa and 1.2m waves. The atmospheric pressure gradient is small and the mountain is calm. Cornices and snowdrifts are slowly developing. Gate 4 (Fujiwara) is scheduled to open at a lower elevation. Beware; the avalanche risk still remains high in the Higashi-One (East ridge) cornice area due to heavy snowfall in a short period of time. Gate 6 & 10 will open from the morning. Listen to the ski patrol’s instructions at the gates before stepping out of bounds. The creeks at the bottom of the valleys aren’t fully buried yet; be careful not to fall. The snow in the treeruns is in great condition. Have a nice day. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 310cm Base - 170cm Niseko Village: Top - 200cm Base - 140cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 185cm Base - 150cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift (There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area) Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Saturday 27th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 509cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 29 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 479cm reported on 24 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 40cm Snowfall at base this season 549cm Posted on Wednesday 31st December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning from Niseko on this New Years Eve morning. I was very much hoping that I wouldn't have to report 'no new snowfall' again today, and I am very happy that I don't have to. Yes, Niseko bounces back in style as it so often does - I have the best part of 40cm of fresh snow to report this morning. No doubt many of the folk here in Niseko will already be out lining up for the lifts! It's suitably cold and the snow is suitably light and fluffy. Oh yes. What better way to slide out the year! It should be a good day. So that's it for 2015. We have easily 'beaten' the Kutchan snowfall number for December 2013 - currently 373cm for the month compared with 258cm last year - and that number is actually more than we have had for quite a few years in the month of December. With some more snowfall due today and overnight there'll be some added on to that as well. Let us hope that the rest of the season continues in a similar way. New Years Day is forecast to be cold and snowy. Enjoy the last day of the season and if you are in Niseko the events going on here. I will see you on the other side. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to be open as planned, though King Number 3 lift running at reduced speed. Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to be open as planned, though top lift running at reduced speed. Niseko Village: Looks set to be open as planned. Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to be open as planned. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -5C, 30cm of snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NW10m/s, -7C, 40cm of fresh. Annupuri 1150m: W8m/s, -7C, 40cm snowfall. Hirafu 1000m:W5m/s, -7C, 45cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW11m/s, Kamui cape NW8m/s, 1004hPa, 0.9m waves. Thick snowclouds flowed in early morning and generated heavy snowfall. The wind is relatively calm and there are no notable developments of snowdrifts. A distinct layer (Dec 28th) is present in the snowpack, but looking at the snowfall transition and other observations, the avalanche risk remains low. All gates except no.2, 3 and 9 will open today. Listen to the ski patrols’ advice before stepping out of the gates. Always use gates and never duck ropes. Visibility is bad, the surface is hard to read and the powder is deep. Carelessly following other people’s tracks could end up in unexpected results. Better stay close to the courses. Beware of falling head first and getting suffocated. There never is 100% safety in the mountains. Always think safety first. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 290cm Base - 170cm Niseko Village: Top - 210cm Base - 150cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 200cm Base - 150cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift (There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area) Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 31st December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 549cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 30 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 30cm Snowfall at base this season 394cm Posted on Tuesday 23rd December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Lots of light fresh snow to report again this morning from the Niseko area - 30cm outside my place - which should make for excellent conditions today. It's not quite as cold this morning as it was yesterday, but still right down there in negative numbers and -6 degrees here in the village base area. It's not quite as windy either, and lifts should be less affected this morning. Yesterday as conditions improved slightly most of the lifts seemed to be operating. The peak lifts and gates are of course still not open. No doubt there's a lot of people keeping their eyes on that situation and I can imagine the rush that will happen when they do open. Be sure to check out the Avalanche Report below for more information. Niseko continues to getting busier. Christmas might not be a major holiday for Japanese, but it is of course with lots of other folk and many want to spend their holidays here in Niseko. As you would. It's worth adding that 23rd December (ie. today) is actually a national holiday here in Japan. It's the Emperors Birthday, so... happy birthday! --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Niseko Grand Hirafu looks set to start the day as planned. Niseko Hanazono: Niseko Hanazono looks set to start the day as planned. Niseko Village: Niseko Gondola running at reduced speed. Niseko Annupuri: Annupuri Gondola not operating due to wind conditions. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base:-10C, 25cm of crystal snow. Moiwa 600m: -13C, 30cm of fresh in 12 hours. Annupuri 1150m: -14C, W16m/s, 25cm of fresh. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW15m/s, Kamui cape W11m/s, 1007hPa and 2.6m waves. The atmospheric pressure gradient is shelving, snowdrift development around 800m is slowing down and the snowpack is stabilizing. However, avalanche risk is still high especially in leeward 1100m slopes. The avalanche control in Mizuno no sawa (Niseko Village) has started yesterday and a 40cm slab avalanche from Dec 20th layer running all the way down to the bottom has been reported from the ski patrol. Stay away from south facing strictly off-limits areas. Peak lifts are scheduled to open as the wind calms down, but peak gates are yet to open. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Never duck ropes to step out of bounds. The snow in the trees is even better than yesterday, but beware of branches and bushes lurking just underneath the surface. Have a nice day. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 250cm Base - 105cm Niseko Village: Top - 160cm Base - 120cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 140cm Base - 110cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift. There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area. Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Tuesday 23rd December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 394cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 25 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 364cm reported on 20 days Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 564cm Posted on Thursday 1st January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu! And a Happy New Year to all Niseko Now and SnowJapan readers. Here's to a powder filled, fun and safe 2015. We may be into January already but there's over 4 months left of the Niseko season which of course stretches into May, so plenty to enjoy. Back to today. It is a cold New Years morning but calm and... the sun is out and there's quite a bit of blue sky above the area. Lovely morning. 15cm of fresh snow here outside my place, 20-25cm on mountain. As is so often the case, even with the fine early morning conditions, snow clouds shouldn't be too far away over the next few days. Forecast clearer conditions for the late weekend and into Monday. It might just be me but it seems that it's quieter than usual for just before 9am. I wonder why that might be! There were lots of parties and celebrations going on last night of course, I think that some people might be taking things a bit slow first thing! For those who like getting up early and tracks before anyone else, Annupuri First Run from today - more on that below. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to be open as planned. Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to be open as planned. Niseko Village: Looks set to be open as planned. Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to be open as planned. 'Annupuri First Run' is available from today until Sunday and then also on the 11th and 12th January. For 1000 yen, you can get to ride the Gondola from 7:20-8:20am. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, 20cm snowfall in 12 hours, calm. Moiwa 800m: NW8m/s, 25cm of fresh snow with development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: NW10m/s, -10C with snowdrifts development. Hirafu 1000m: mild wind, -10C, 20cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape SSE4m/s, Kamui cape ENE4m/s, 997hPa and 0.7m waves. The isobars are spread out and the weather is calm. Snowdrifts are developing slowly above 800m and the general avalanche risk is relatively low, except around 1100m cornice and knoll terrains where stabilization of the newly formed snowdrifts is being delayed. Hazards of surface slab slides up to 80cm thickness and 50m long is still to be highly considered. The snow in the trees is in good shape. All gates except for gate 2 & 3 will open from the morning. Beware of sudden weather changes. Have you switched your avalanche transceiver on? Peak gates 2 & 3 should open after the 3rd. Have a great New Year 2015. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 290cm Base - 160cm Niseko Village: Top - 210cm Base - 150cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 200cm Base - 150cm --- Lifts open for night skiing (planned): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift (There is no night skiing at the Hanazono area) Niseko Village Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 Quad Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Thursday 1st January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 564cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 15cm reported on 1 day Previous report Next report 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. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com