Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 34cm Snowfall at base this season 1175cm Posted on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Light snow is still (just about) falling but it is increasingly bright in some directions - even some blue sky showing through in places. There is also another very good layer of fresh snow out there this morning. With a good chance of the blue skies winning out as the morning goes on, it should be a fine day to be out and about. Do be sure to read the avalanche report (below). Unfortunately... yes, wind. We seemed to be doing well re: wind earlier in the season but it has definitely been more of an issue in recent weeks. As of 8:30am top lifts and the gondolas at Hirafu and Annupuri aren't moving. However, they might well get open - delays are being mentioned at Hirafu, where only the Family quad is open at the start of the day, so fingers crossed more might open. It should remain cold today. Milder temperatures are due tomorrow with a good chance of one of those beautiful clear sunny mornings. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report: Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:N12m/s. Cape Kamui: E2m/s, 1024hPa, wave 1.7m. Hanazono 1000m: -9.8℃, NNW9.7m/s. Hanazono 720: -10.0℃, NNE5.5m/s. Moiwa 800m: -9.8℃, NNW3.1m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-13.0℃, NNW6.1m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -12.3℃, NNE3.4m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -11.5℃, NNE2.9m/s. Kutchan Town: -5.9℃, 35cm snow in last 24hrs, snow depth 235cm. Moiwa Base 300m: -6.0℃, light wind, snow, good visibility, 15cm of crystal snow from dawn. From 4am the wind dropped and snowdrift development eased, 15cm of crystal snowfall fell from dawn. The intense low pressure yesterday caused major snow drift development, up to 250cm in some locations. Snow drifts are an aggregate of crushed low pressure snow and from observation slabs are heavy, unstable and 150cm in depth. Snow drifts have not consolidated and have been collapsing under the grooming machines which has significantly delayed getting everything groomed. As of 6am the wind has dropped, however the avalanche risk will remain high at all elevations and aspects for the next 24hrs. The risk of large scale surface avalanches triggered by natural cornice or snowdrift collapse continues. Do not wait under open slopes or in valley bottoms. Avalanches are a natural occurrence, they only become accidents when people are involved. Be careful out there. ----- Planned ski area operations: Wednesday 3rd March 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 490cm (+20cm) - Base: 225cm (-5cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 23cm - Base: 22cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 350cm (+10cm) - Base: 265cm (+23cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 340cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 330cm (+0cm) - Base: 220cm (+6cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 3rd March 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1175cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 84 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 325cm reported on 24 days March 2021 snowfall 53cm reported on 2 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 19cm Snowfall at base this season 1141cm Posted on Tuesday 2nd March 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Snow, wind, low visibility... it's one of those mornings, with all top lifts as well as the Niseko Village gondola are on hold. Clearer skies are possible tomorrow and Thursday, hopefully without the wind too. And a bit more snow today. Anyway, I wrote this. ----- The 2020-2021 Niseko season so far: until the end February 2021 As it is now the beginning of March, it's once again time for me to look back at the numbers so far and see how we are doing compared with previous seasons. The usual up front stuff: I take my measurements from near the base of Niseko Grand Hirafu. There is usually more snow at higher elevations, but it is impossible for me to take measurements from the top of the mountain every morning for all sorts of practical reasons. My observed snowfall numbers on these Niseko Now reports over the years can be compared like-for-like, because they are my own observations and are coming from the same place each season. OK so here goes... This is how much snowfall I have measured during the month of February over the last nine years: February 2021: 325cm February 2020: 143cm February 2019: 198cm February 2018: 299cm February 2017: 160cm February 2016: 266cm February 2015: 196cm February 2014: 178cm February 2013: 316cm Very nice! The SnowJapan Niseko Now daily reports go back further than that (to a time when toast was not mentioned) but this is the most observed snowfall at base in any February since the current format was implemented in 2013. And more than double last February. There were just a handful of days when I wasn’t able to report any cm of snowfall and a further bunch of days when it was just a ‘dusting+’. Here’s the total snowfall from the start of the season through the end of February: 2020/2021 season up to end of February 2021: 1122cm 2019/2020 season up to end of February 2020: 659cm 2018/2019 season up to end of February 2019: 900cm 2017/2018 season up to end of February 2018: 1198cm 2016/2017 season up to end of February 2017: 605cm 2015/2016 season up to end of February 2016: 877cm 2014/2015 season up to end of February 2015: 1002cm 2013/2014 season up to end of February 2014: 1037cm 2012/2013 season up to end of February 2013: 1295cm 1122cm is also on the upper scale of what we have experienced over the last nine seasons. 2017-2018 just beat it by a bit and 2012-2013 by some more. These are very good numbers. If you go with the usual ‘there’s often about 1.5 times the amount of snow on the upper areas of the mountain’ thinking, it’s easy to imagine that there will have been 16m or more snowfall up there. With such good snow and conditions, in a normal year there would be a real celebratory atmosphere and everywhere would be buzzing. This season being what it is, though, it doesn’t feel like that. Yes, of course, people who have been able to visit have been able to enjoy some excellent conditions and enjoy an unusually quiet Niseko. For some it has almost felt like an experiment in time-travel to a time before Niseko got properly noticed. The sad fact remains that lots of you could not get here and so could only look on from afar. You folks clearly don't need anyone to remind you of that. But perhaps seeing Niseko and Japan in general enjoy a season of good snowfall will get everyone all the more excited for their next visit. I predict a rush back once people are able to. With the foreign market being a bit chunk of business for many in Niseko - probably more than any other ski area in Japan - it has undoubtedly been a difficult season and people are already genuinely wondering how next winter might possibly shape up. Obviously with much out of our control we can only do what we can do and hope that the situation is much brighter later this year and in the run up to 2021-2022. Anyway, going back to the numbers for this year. This is how much snowfall I have recorded during the month of March in the last eight winter seasons. March 2020: 59cm March 2019: 45cm March 2018: 49cm March 2017: 83cm March 2016: 109cm March 2015: 139cm March 2014: 113cm March 2013: 164cm You can clearly see than in recent years there has been a rather disappointing trend of us getting less snowfall during the month of March. This is by no means dismissing that clear year-on-year trend (those observed numbers can be directly compared), but it is important to remember that especially during the later part of a season there will be days when it snows on the mountain but there’s no fresh cm of snow for me to report from base. So in late season there's an increased chance that part of the story is not covered by base numbers. Always good to keep that in mind. And just as an additional number, this is how much of the total snowfall for a season we have already had by the end of February: By the end of February 2020, as a % of the season total: about 91% By the end of February 2019, as a % of the season total: about 95% By the end of February 2018, as a % of the season total: about 95% By the end of February 2017, as a % of the season total: about 88% By the end of February 2016, as a % of the season total: about 88% By the end of February 2015, as a % of the season total: about 88% By the end of February 2014, as a % of the season total: about 89% By the end of February 2013, as a % of the season total: about 87% The snowfall numbers that the Japan Meteorological Agency report from their observation station in Kutchan town are as follows. February 2021: 247cm February 2020: 158cm February 2019: 141cm February 2018: 202cm February 2017: 173cm February 2016: 210cm February 2015: 167cm February 2014: 130cm February 2013: 228cm 2020/2021 season up to end of February 2021: 860cm 2019/2020 season up to end of February 2020: 609cm 2018/2019 season up to end of February 2019: 808cm 2017/2018 season up to end of February 2018: 954cm 2016/2017 season up to end of February 2017: 741cm 2015/2016 season up to end of February 2016: 698cm 2014/2015 season up to end of February 2015: 825cm 2013/2014 season up to end of February 2014: 804cm 2012/2013 season up to end of February 2013: 900cm I think a general summary of the season so far would probably go something like this: Great year for snow, but wish you were here. PS The season ain’t over yet. I plan to be with you until the ski lifts close for the season. If they continue as planned, that’ll be early May. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:E10m/s. Cape Kamui: ENE42m/s, 1011hPa, wave 1.9m. Hanazono 1000m: -5.0℃, NNW7.8m/s. Hanazono 720: -6.5℃, NNW3.9m/s. Moiwa 800m: -6.0℃, NNE10.0m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-3.4℃, NNE9.9m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -3.9℃, NNE4.3m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -6.8℃, NNE8.6m/s. Kutchan Town: -2.8℃, NW1.7m/s, 17cm snow in last 24hrs, snow depth 204cm. Moiwa Base 300m: -4.0℃, 25cm new snow in last 24hrs, light wind, snow, poor visibility. At the mountain base 15-20cm of low pressure snow has fallen on the 1st March layer, above 700m a NE15m/s wind and accumulations of wind blown snow. From tests at 800m new snowdrifts will fracture at 45cm depth. Snow at the mountain base is typical low pressure crystal snowfall, reflective and light. This snowfall higher up above 800m is under the new wind slab and expected to remain as a significant weak layer. On Osawa 1100m and Kozan no Sawa sidewall cornice face a wind slab or crust is expected to develop from a strong NE wind. Carelessly stimulating these slabs(snowdrifts) could impact through the slab causing an avalanche. These areas should not be ridden until the wind drops below 10m/s and given time to consolidate and stabilise. Gate openings yet to be decided. Please listen to the patrol’s advice. Expect the avalanche risk to rapidly increase from noon. The snow is good and light in the trees, but be careful when visibility is poor. Beware hitting trees or falling into a creek. The water is cold. Moiwa Gate 6 will be closed from tomorrow due to lift operations suspended. ----- Planned ski area operations: Tuesday 2nd March 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 470cm (+5cm) - Base: 230cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 23cm - Base: 22cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 340cm (-7cm) - Base: 242cm (+17cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 340cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 330cm (+0cm) - Base: 214cm (-16cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Tuesday 2nd March 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1141cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 325cm reported on 24 days March 2021 snowfall 19cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 21cm Snowfall at base this season 1122cm Posted on Saturday 27th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. Earlier clouds have been moving on and there's blue sky opening up above us as I put this report together. With a decent amount of fresh snow on the ground to boot. I very much approve of this way to end February! :) ...Ah! Unfortunately the top lifts are one by one being noted as being on hold as we approach 8:30am, I'm afraid. Doh! Status of the Village lift unconfirmed as I post the report. Perhaps they might be able to get going - if and when they do open gates are expected to be available today. Sunshine is forecast tomorrow when temperatures might get a bit milder, but hopefully not by too much. And then we should be starting the month of March with some fresh snow to celebrate. (Can you celeblate?) ----- Niseko Avalanche Report 6:25am Benkei cape: NNE9m/s, Kamui cape NE2m/s, 1028hPa, 2.0m waves. Hanazono 1000m: -10.5℃, NNE10.8m/s. Hanazono 720m: -9.7℃, N5m/s. Moiwa800m: -9.7℃, NNW6.0m/s. Annupuri1000m: -12.6℃, WSW ?m/s. Yu no sawa 1100m: -12.0℃, N4.2m/s. Mizuno no Sawa top: -11.1℃, NNE2.7m/s. Kutchan town: -6.7℃, ENE0.9m/s, 17cm snowfall in 24h, 207cm snow depth. Moiwa base: -7℃, 30cm snowfall in 24h, calm and good visibility. The wind picked up early in the morning and heavy snowfall continued until the morning. The newly formed snowdrifts under 800m elevation aren’t stable yet and can fracture with riding impact. The avalanche risk is high in cornices and snowdrift slopes in high elevation areas throughout the morning. All gates are scheduled to open, but will be subject to chairlift operations. Please wait for the ski patrol’s instructions. Better not stimulate slopes with strong wind patterns. Soft slabs may be fun to ski but are prone to break and slide today. 45cm thick surface slab avalanches are likely to occur. The snow condition changes every day. A slope that was good last week may not be safe to ski today. Hazardous conditions are present in surrounding mountains too. Have you worn your helmet and switched your beacon on? Airbags are useless if activated too late. The sun has come out now. Have a great day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Saturday 27th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 30cm - Base: 30cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 490cm (+20cm) - Base: 255cm (+15cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 7 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Pair 1, King Quad 3, King 4, Swinging Monkey - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 22cm - Base: 25cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 340cm (+15cm) - Base: 250cm (+17cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (+10cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 6 lifts today - all should be moving - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 330cm (+20cm) - Base: 230cm (+10cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 27th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1122cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 82 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 325cm 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 8cm Snowfall at base this season 1101cm Posted on Friday 26th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This morning there is cloud, there is some light snow falling and there is even a bit of sunshine breaking through in places. Ski areas are reporting around 5-10cm of fresh snow since yesterday. We might get some more cm of snow today (though I wouldn't expect much) and expecting a weekend with a chance of sunshine and relatively mild temperatures. Come Tuesday temps are going to drop again with more snow due early in the week to take us into March. ----- I have so far reported 304cm of snowfall during this month. I just took a quick look at the tables and that is, in fact, the most for a February since the 2012-2013 season. More on all that kind of thing early next week... ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NNW10m/s. Cape Kamui: W11m/s, 1018hPa, wave 1.2m. Hanazono 1000m: -11.6℃, ESE3.5m/s. Hanazono 720: -8.8℃, NW8.8m/s. Moiwa 800m: -10.0℃, NNW9.4m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-12.7℃, W wind speed n/a. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -12.4℃, WNW3.8m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -11.8℃, WNW6.1m/s. Kutchan Town: -7.8℃, 9cm snow in last 24hrs, snow depth 195cm. Moiwa Base 300m: -9, 20cm new snow in last 24hrs, light wind, sunny. Weak low pressure snow fell from midnight to dawn, a N10m/s wind above 800m is blowing however there is little significant snowdrift development. From tests, snowdrifts under the overnight snow have consolidated and stabilised and general avalanche risk is low. Peak gates are expected to open. Although the snow is shallow, it is good. Take care hitting yesterday's tracks, falling into cracks or hitting trees. Ride one by one and dont wait in the creek bottoms. Is your beacon on? Helmets are strongly recommended. Have a good day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Friday 26th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 12cm - Base: 12cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 470cm (+0cm) - Base: 240cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 12cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 325cm (+1cm) - Base: 233cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 300cm (+10cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested on weekdays - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (+10cm) - Base: 220cm (+5cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 26th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1101cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 81 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 304cm 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 10cm Snowfall at base this season 1093cm Posted on Thursday 25th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Yesterday as of 4pm it was a case of some cloud and some blue sky, though it was still snowing lightly over at Hanazono. Very pretty. It is another cold morning. As you can see on the images below, the sun is trying to break through the clouds in some places, particularly away from the mountain early on. We're not expecting a full clear up, but you never know. At the start of the day Hirafu is covered in cloud and light snow falling. Wind is not causing any issues this morning and all lifts that should be moving will be opening as planned. The chance of (probably light) snowfall continues through today and tomorrow, with a break from the snow and some sun over the weekend - particularly on Sunday when it will be milder. Beyond that, it looks like the start of March should start with more fresh snow. That's what we like to see! ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NNW15m/s. Cape Kamui: NW11m/s, 1021hPa, wave 1.5m. Hanazono 1000m: -15.5℃,NW9.5m/s. Hanazono 720: -12.5℃, NNW6.4m/s. Moiwa 800m: NNW9.9m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-15.7℃, WNW wind speed n/a. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -15.1℃, WNW4.1m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -14.1℃, WNW7.7m/s. Kutchan Town: -8.3℃, W3.1m/s, 7cm snow in last 24hrs, snow depth 192cm. Moiwa Base 300m: -10, 20cm new snow in last 24hrs, light wind and snow, good visibility. Above 800m a 15m/s wind and snow continue, snow drift development on top of Feb23 reaching 240cm in some locations, the lower 200cm has consolidated. From observation and tests, the avalanche risk is starting to fall. Gates are expected to open depending on lift operation. Please respect the patrol’s decisions and follow instructions. Do not stimulate Kozan no Sawa sidewall around 1100m or Osawa cornice slope. The possibility of a large scale avalanche continues. Do not wait in the creek bottoms. Guides should not take guests onto these slopes. Legal precedents show a disclaimer agreement or danger notice will not protect you in the event of an accident. Guides and party leaders always carry a great deal of responsibility. It is cold today, beware of frostbite and hyperthermia. Beware of large cornice collapsing, do not ride under them. The snow is shallow but good. Take care. ----- Planned ski area operations: Thursday 25th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 470cm (+10cm) - Base: 240cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 13cm - Base: 13cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 324cm (+6cm) - Base: 233cm (+7cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+10cm) - Base: 210cm (+5cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested on weekdays - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (+0cm) - Base: 220cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 25th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1093cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 80 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 296cm 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 16cm Snowfall at base this season 1083cm Posted on Wednesday 24th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here For all the talk of hints of spring around various corners, it is good to report a good dose of winter! Great to see Moiwa reporting 40cm of fresh snow. I'm not as much as that over here close to Hirafu base, but there should be a decent fresh layer of snow on the slopes this morning. And the webcams show quite a lot of people lining up for the first lifts of the day. (Give us a wave!) Alas, wind is a factor again this morning which is somewhat annoying. Top lifts at Hirafu, Village and Annupuri not opening as planned as well as the gondola at Annupuri. Snow on and off over the next few days and looking ahead maybe some sun over the weekend. Sunday and Monday look like they might be a bit warmer again. For the moment though, it's cold. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NW15m/s. Cape Kamui: W13m/s, 1013hPa, wave 2.1m. Hanazono 1000m: -13.5℃, NNE2.3m/s. Hanazono 720: -11.1℃, NNW4.8m/s. Moiwa 800m: -11.6℃, NNE6.8m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-14.5℃, WSW wind speed n/a. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -13.9℃, SSW3.2m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -13.0℃, WNW3.3m/s. Kutchan Town: -6.9℃, WSW2.2m/s, 8cm snow in last 24hrs, snow depth 190cm. Moiwa base 300m: -9, 40cm new snow in last 24hrs. The winter type weather pattern and blizzard conditions has set in. Wind, snow and snow drift development continues at all elevations. From this morning's observation at Moiwa 800m, up to 200cm, and growing, of hard, heavy snow drift development on the Feb23 layer. The avalanche risk on leeward snowdrift slopes above the tree line is high. The snow is wind blown, dry and compact and good for skiing. Surface undulations are difficult to see in flat light. Be careful picking your line. Do not stimulate cornices or knolls. Gate openings yet to be decided. Please respect the patrol's decisions and instructions. WInter continues. Be careful of snow falling from roofs, buildings collapsing and generally clearing snow. Spring is still a way off. Remember the pioneering farmers of the Meiji era, tough life. Be careful out there. ----- Planned ski area operations: Wednesday 24th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 460cm (+15cm) - Base: 240cm (+15cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 318cm (+11cm) - Base: 226cm (+11cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested on weekdays - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (+17cm) - Base: 220cm (+10cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Wednesday 24th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1083cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 79 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 286cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 1067cm Posted on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. A report coming to you a little later today. (Technical stuff that I don't understand - I just waited it out and enjoyed some bonus toast). Winds and low visibility (in places) are back this morning, with top lifts and the gondolas at Village and Annupuri on hold this morning. Hirafu Gondola appears to be moving. Here in Hirafu visibility is low but a quick look at the Hanazono webcam shows much better. So perhaps we can say that visibility is varied. This morning Hirafu were reporting a temperature of -9C at peak, Annupuri were reporting -15C. Hopefully more snow to report tomorrow and perhaps a few more days beyond. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NW16m/s. Cape Kamui: WSW15m/s, 1004hPa, wave 0.9m. Hanazono 1000m: -7.2℃, N9.9m/s. Hanazono 720: -6.7℃. Moiwa 800m: -7.2℃, N9.9m/s, snowdrift development. Annupuri 1100m:-9.8℃, W wind speed n/a. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -9.4℃, WSW4.5m/s. Mizuno no Sawa 900m: -8.6℃, W7.8m/s. Kutchan Town: -2.9℃, WSW2.5m/s, snow depth 183cm. Moiwa base 300m: -5, 5cm new snow in last 12hrs, mild snow storm. Low pressure snow fell until dawn. From 5am a winter type weather pattern has brought NE winds around 15-18m/s above 800m. Expect snowdrifts to develop on leeward slopes. The avalanche risk will increase to high by 11am in Kozan no Sawa and Osawa cornice slope around 1000m. The snow in the trees is good but shallow, easy to catch and edge though. Also flat light flat is making it hard to see surface undulations. Be careful hitting trees. Gate openings yet to be decided. Please respect the patrol's decision. Yesterday there was an accident at the bottom of the north face, Hirafu patrol and the Fire Dept assisted in the rescue. The summit Akiya(rescue toboggan) was used so will be unavailable today and tomorrow. Winter rescue operations are time consuming. Death from hyperthermia after the rescue is a real danger. Be very cautious. ----- Planned ski area operations: Tuesday 23rd February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 2cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 445cm (-5cm) - Base: 225cm (-5cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 6 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4, Swinging Monkey - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 7cm - Base: 7cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 307cm (+0cm) - Base: 215cm (+3cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 5cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 6 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested on weekdays - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 293cm (+23cm) (!) - Base: 210cm (-20cm) (!!) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Morino, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Tuesday 23rd February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1067cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 78 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 270cm 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1064cm Posted on Monday 22nd February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Yesterday it was getting fairly bright around lunchtime and brighter still by the end of the day with quite a lot of blue sky out towards Mt Yotei. Even so there was some very pretty light snow falling in places. The 1cm of snow that I am posting this morning is from post-report yesterday morning. This morning I can see Mt Yotei from the start of the day. Yes, we have a clear morning at last. And... all of the lifts that are scheduled to be open are doing so at the start of the day and peak gates are expected to be open. Spring does feel like it is kind of around the corner, or perhaps around a few corners. Hopefully big ones. Before we get there we have more snow to receive. Starting tomorrow, and if the forecasts are right, we can expect those snow clouds to be back with us for a bunch of days again. We will be back to snow and cold, and we can delay those thoughts of spring. I like the sound of that. Today is a national holiday in Japan and while some people will have today as a holiday, lift operations seem to be normal 'weekday'. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:S8m/s. Cape Kamui: calm, 1011hPa, wave 0.7m. Hanazono 1000m: -11.8℃, SSW6.8m/s. Hanazono 720: -5.8℃, SW8.8m/s. Moiwa 800m: -9.4℃, SSE2.1m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-12.0℃, WSW3.3m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -9.9℃, WSW5.7m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -11.3℃, ESE windspeed n/a. Kutchan Town: -10.2℃, no new snow, snow depth 180cm. Moiwa base: -10, calm, sunny, no new snow. There is very little atmospheric pressure gradient, the seas and mountains are calm with very little snow fall or snowdrift development. From observation, data, groomer and patrol reports the general avalanche risk is low. Peak gates are expected to be open. Please listen to the patrol’s opinions before going out of bounds. The snow is shallow and riding well. Be careful crashing, hitting things, falling in cracks or creeks. Do not hang around in the creek bottoms where avalanches might run. The mountain is a bit like spring. Have a good day. Don't forget your helmet and beacon. ----- Planned ski area operations: Monday 22nd February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 450cm (-5cm) - Base: 230cm (-5cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 5 lifts today - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 5cm - Base: 7cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 307cm (+2cm) - Base: 212cm (-3cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 3 lifts today - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 5cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+5cm) - Base: 210cm (+2cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Jumbo 2 and 3 rested on weekdays - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 270cm (+0cm) - Base: 230cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: 4 lifts today - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Monday 22nd February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1064cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 77 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 267cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 1063cm Posted on Sunday 21st February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Much of Japan might well be experiencing sunny skies and very spring like weather this weekend, but here in Niseko we are still covered in cloud. It feels colder this morning and the numbers show that too. And looking outside my window just now it is snowing and actually some nice big flakes coming down. Forecasts don't tell us to expect much during the day today. A bit of a warm up probably tomorrow before temperatures drop back down again from Tuesday onwards... when we should be getting some decent snowfall. Today starts with the top lifts at Niseko Grand Hirafu, Village and Annupuri closed, presumably due to windy conditions up there. The Avalanche Report mentions gates likely to open; hopefully those lifts will get moving. ----- OK, so I checked on the night skiing lift situation at Hirafu. The plan for the season was for the Ace Family Quad and the Ace Number 2 Center Four lifts to both be operating for night skiing. However, since 1st February the Family lift has only been open on Saturdays, so it's just the Center Four lift operating for night skiing on weekdays and holidays. I did actually mention these changes in operations myself in an earlier report, just got a bit mixed up with the various changes. Doh! By the way, thanks to the people who actually took the time to send in mails to SnowJapan to help with that information. That was very kind of you. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report 6:25am Benkei cape: NW15m/s, Kamui cape: W10m/s, 1006hPa, 2.3m waves. Hanazono 1000m: -11.2℃, S3.1m/s. Hanazono 720m: -8.4℃, NW6m/s. Moiwa 800m: -8.7℃, NNE9.2m/s. Annupuri 1100m: -11.6℃, W7.8m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -11.1℃, WSW3.2m/s. Mizu no Sawa top: -10.2℃, WNW5.1m/s. Kutchan Town: -4.0℃, W5.6m/s, 180cm snow depth. Moiwa base: -6℃, 3cm snowfall in 12h. The wind has calmed down and the snowdrifts development has slowed down. Snowdrifts have reached up to 100cm thickness in some places, cornices are thin and very unstable. The snow is thin below 500M elevation, however 40cm thick wind-affected slabs have blanketed leeward slopes above 700m. According to observations and various weather data, these slabs are seen to stabilize around 11am. Peak gates are scheduled to open, however it would be wise to avoid Kozan no Sawa (Back bowl) sidewalls, Osawa (Annupuri bowl) cornice slopes and Higashi-One (East Ridge) upper section during the morning. Listen to the ski patrol’s advice and be well prepared before stepping out of the gates. Get your helmet and beacon ready. The Niseko Rules are regulations for keeping safety outside the resort boundaries and this safety is backed by the ski ptarol’s work. They are not your enemy or any other kind of disturbance. The weather has not been cooperating this season and the days when the gates are open might be seldom, however the ski patrol has been working hard in order to open the gates as much as possible. Please respect the Rules and the patrol’s decisions. Careless actions lead accidents and most of them can be avoided. There will never be 100% safety in winter sports. Better not overestimate your knowledge, skills, experience and equipment. Always remain prudent and humble towards nature. The snow is not not bad today. ----- Planned ski area operations: Sunday 21st February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 455cm (-5cm) - Base: 235cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: (7 lifts) - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Pair, King Quad 3, King 4, Swinging Monkey - Night skiing: Ace Center Four quad (every day) and Ace Family quad (Saturdays only at the moment) ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 5cm - Base: 7cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 305cm (+0cm) - Base: 215cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: (3 lifts) - Hanazono 1, 2 and 3 - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 5cm - Base: 2cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: (6 lifts) - All lifts - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 270cm (+0cm) - Base: 230cm (+0cm) Ski lifts: - Planned: (4 lifts) - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Sunday 21st February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1063cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 76 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 266cm 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 1060cm Posted on Saturday 20th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I had to cancel my 'research' yesterday and was not able to make it out on the mountain. Wind is making the headlines this morning, preventing top lifts and the Annupuri and Village gondolas from starting the day as planned. Light (but kind of wet) snow is falling at the moment, and it feels relatively mild. The ski areas themselves are describing snow conditions as 'spring' this morning. That's all relative too, of course, but whatever I don't think we want to be mentioning spring too much while we are still in February. And on that front the good news is that it should be colder again tomorrow and from around Monday night onwards we should be once again back to snow building up. ----- I am getting a little confused with the Hirafu night skiing lifts situation - two lifts plan to be moving again tonight. I'm guessing it's a weekday/weekend thing at the moment, but will investigate today and get that cleared up, promise. ----- Niseko Avalanche Report 6:25am Benkei cape: W8m/s, Kamui cape: SW22m/s, 992hPa, 1.8m waves. Hanazono 1000m: -2.8℃, WSW5.7m/s. Hanazono 720m: -1.7℃, SE3.3m/s. Moiwa 800m: -0.7℃, NNW5.9m/s. Anupuri 1100m: -3.2℃, WSW10.5m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -2.8℃, SW11.5m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -2.2℃, SW10.3m/s. Kutchan town: 1.9℃, SW6.6m/s, 187cm snow depth, no new snowfall. Moiwa base: 1℃, 5cm wet snowfall in 12h. A strong southerly blizzard blew above 1000m elevation as the warm front passed and made uneven snowdrifts developed in various places. The avalanche hazard level is rising in leeward slopes above 1000m elevation. This new low-pressure snowfall can easily slide, even in the forests, if the snowpack exceeds 30cm thickness. Those avalanches move slower, however are heavier and powerful, and can slide in a wide area like dry snow surface slab avalanches. Please use extra caution, and stay alert even in the tree runs. 15-20cm humid snow (low-pressure snowfall) is blanketing the forests under 800m elevation, a little heavy but good for riding. Please be careful not to hit trees. A noticeable new layer (Feb 20th) will form under the future snowpack. Gates opening is yet to be decided. Please respect the ski patrol decision. The groomers condition is good, however, the low-light makes it difficult to see the undulations. Beware of over speeding. We strongly recommend wearing a helmet and carrying a beacon. Stay alert and have a good day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Saturday 20th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 460cm (-10cm) - Base: 235cm (-5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Ace Family Quad and Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four lifts operate for night skiing ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 305cm (-13cm) - Base: 215cm (-10cm) Ski lifts operating: - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+5cm) - Base: 210cm (+3cm) Ski lifts operating: - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 0cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 270cm (+0cm) - Base: 230cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Saturday 20th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1060cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 75 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 263cm reported on 17 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 12cm Snowfall at base this season 1059cm Posted on Friday 19th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hirafu gondola got moving during the day yesterday and there was even a hint of clearing skies and blue sky in the afternoon. After the storm, at last things seem to be calmer this morning and all lifts (that plan to be operating) look set to open as scheduled this morning. Hurray! Just light snow is falling now. Visibility generally seems like should be ok, perhaps more limited higher up on the mountain. The Avalanche Report today says that 'snow is not bad'. I would imagine it would be rather more to-be-excited-about than that, but perhaps I just need to get out there and check for myself. All in the name of research and work, of course. It looks like it will be a milder the next day or so, with just light snow at times. Nothing major. Might need to check on wind tomorrow (hopefully it will refrain from being too pesky). ----- I have adjusted one piece of information in the listing below that I thought I would point out - it seems like only the Ace Quad Center 4 is now operating at Niseko Grand Hirafu for night skiing. I am unsure when that changed. Usually night skiing plans are set for the season and that's it, weather conditions permitting. But this is 20-21, so... ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NW13m/s. Cape Kamui: SW11m/s, 1004hPa, wave 1.8m. Hanazono 1000m: -8.6℃, E2.8m/s. Hanazono 720: -6.8℃, S2.1m/s. Moiwa 800m: -7.6℃, N6.0m/s. Annupuri 1100m:-10.3℃, W5.0m/s. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -9.9℃, WSW3.3m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -9.1℃, W3.7m/s. Kutchan Town: -2.8℃, SSW4.2m/s, snow depth 195cm, 1005.3hPa. Moiwa base: -5, light wind, sunny, 15cm in last 12 hrs. The low pressure system has moved away and been replaced by a weak winter type pressure pattern. Winds above 800m dropped to 10-15m/s after 10pm last night. From observation, data and the snowfall transition, the general avalanche risk is beginning to fall. Peak gates are expected to open depending on lift operation. The last 48hrs of strong winds have changed the landscape and developed snowdrifts and cornices in unexpected places. It is better to not enter the big valleys or ride under cornices on open slopes today. The risk of large surface avalanches, fracturing on 15th Feb layer will continue into the afternoon. Stay out of the creek bottoms. Don't stimulate cornices or cut knolls. Watch out for tree bombs and cracks hidden under the snow. Wear a helmet. Is your beacon on? Snow is not bad. Have a good day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Friday 19th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 15cm - Base: 15cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 470cm (+0cm) - Base: 240cm (-5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: (5 lifts) - Ace Family Quad, Ace Quad Center 4, Hirafu Gondola, King Quad 3, King 4 - Ace Quad Center Four lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 13cm - Base: 0cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 318cm (+8cm) - Base: 225cm (+5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: (3 lifts) - All lifts - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 5cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: (4 lifts) - All lifts apart from Jumbo 2 and 3 - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 270cm (+0cm) - Base: 230cm (+0cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: (4 lifts) - Niseko Gondola, Community, Banzai, Wonderland - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Friday 19th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1059cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 74 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 262cm reported on 16 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 24cm Snowfall at base this season 1047cm Posted on Thursday 18th February 2021 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here A few lifts actually (perhaps surprisingly) got to open yesterday as conditions calmed a bit, including the gondolas at Hirafu and Village though not top lifts. The storm hasn't totally passed yet. We have more snow and it still windy. At the moment it is just snowing lightly and actually seems to be easing off. Limited lift operations again at the start of this morning, though there may be changes at short notice like yesterday depending on conditions. Snow conditions will be deep... but potentially very dangerous with avalanche risk high. Snow on the courses will still be great, and safer. If you are here and excited about the snow, that's totally natural but please take all the sensible precautions. Check the messages in the Avalanche report below. Tomorrow will hopefully be calmer. I'm going to wait until then and get some quality time in - learning the art of preparing a perfect piece of toast! ----- Niseko Avalanche Report Coastal Data 6:25am. Cape Benkei:NNW17m/s. Cape Kamui: WNW15m/s, 993hPa, wave4.3m. Hanazono 1000m: -9.1℃, WNW16m/s. Hanazono 720: 6.4℃, NW10.4m/s. Moiwa 800m: -6.7℃, NNE15.4m/s. Annupuri 1100m: n/a. Yu no Sawa 1100m: -8.8℃, WNW2.9m/s. Mizuno no Sawa Top: -7.9℃, WNW8.4m/s. Kutchan Town: -2.4℃, WNW7.9m/s, snow depth 200cm, 993.1hPa. Moiwa base: -4.5, light wind, snow, 25cm in last 12 hrs. Due to the slow moving 970hPa low pressure system, heavy seas, blizzard conditions above 800m and snowdrift instability continue. From this morning's observation, data and the snowfall transition, the avalanche risk is high on snowdrift slopes at all elevations and aspects. Peak gates will be closed as an accident prevention measure. Most winter avalanches occur when wind blown snow rapidly deposits on a snow drift slope and then the whole slope collapses. Always be extra careful during storms. Although winds are light and the snow is good on the leeward side of a ridge, it may be an avalanche waiting to happen. The weather is still bad. Stay off steep slopes, knolls and under cornices with heavy snow. Do not go into the creek valley bottoms, they are the avalanche paths. When the isobars spread out the weather will calm. Have a good day. ----- Planned ski area operations: Thursday 18th February 2021 The below information is manually checked each morning from official sources. The numbers in brackets show the change in the official snow depth numbers since the previous report. Niseko Grand Hirafu 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 35cm - Base: 35cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 470cm (+10cm) - Base: 245cm (+5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: At time of writing just the lower Ace Family quad - Ace Family Quad and Ace Number 2 Center Four lifts operate for night skiing ----- Niseko HANAZONO Resort 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 20cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 310cm (-5cm) - Base: 220cm (-5cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: First two lifts - There is no night skiing at Hanazono ----- Niseko Annupuri 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 40cm - Base: 20cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 290cm (+0cm) - Base: 210cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: Dream quad, Jumbo 1 and 2 - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift operates for night skiing ----- Niseko Village 24 hours new snowfall (as reported by the ski area): - Peak: 10cm - Base: 10cm Official snow depth (reported by the ski area): - Peak: 270cm (+10cm) - Base: 230cm (+10cm) Ski lifts operating: - Planned: Community, Morino and Banzai chair - Community Chair lift operates for night skiing ----- Night time operations are available in the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas until 7th March 2021. There is no night skiing in the Niseko HANAZONO area. The Ace Pair Number 1, 3 and 4, King Pair Number 1 lift and King Quad Number 2 lifts are being rested for the season at Niseko Grand Hirafu. There may be other lift operation changes at the moment due to coronavirus situation. Do be sure to check for details with ski areas. Niseko Now 2020-2021 season Data as of Thursday 18th February 2021 Total snowfall at base so far 1047cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 73 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 48cm (17th February) November 2020 snowfall 62cm reported on 6 days December 2020 snowfall 348cm reported on 25 days January 2021 snowfall 387cm reported on 27 days February 2021 snowfall 250cm reported on 15 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