Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 548cm Posted on Tuesday 21st February 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I enjoyed some very fine conditions yesterday. It didn't clear up like we thought it might early on, keeping cloudy but generally visibility was decent and a nice day to be out. For one quad lift ride there was me, a guy from Australia, a lady from Argentina and a teenager from Thailand. How about that for a fun mix? I even saw some Japanese people out on the slopes yesterday. (I think). ;) There were some very strong and noisy winds starting yesterday evening and some pretty wild conditions overnight. I have 3cm of snow to report but it's very likely going to be more than that in places due to the wind. That also means that it's not going to be an even layer of fresh this morning so do take care. Earlier it was snowing lightly but for now that has stopped and it is quite bright actually - some blue sky starting to appear as of 8:30am. It is not as windy this morning but still some top lifts are affected at the start of the day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Mountain base: -8°, 20cm new snow, snowdrift development. Moiwa 800m: -11°, W8m/s, snowdrift development, 11pm last night wind 22.31m/s. Annupuri 1150m, -14°, NW10m/s, snowdrift development. Hirafu 1250m, -162°, N10m/s, snowdrift development. Coastal data: Kamui Cape:NW8m/s, 1010hPa, wave 2.5m. Wind has dropped now but strong winds overnight have caused major snowdrift development. Around 800m elevation, snowdrifts on knolls have grown by 120cm. General avalanche risk is high. Gates 1,2,3,and 4 will be closed, other gates yet to be decided. Snow is deep and heavy in the trees. Cornices on the ridge lines are getting big. Although the snowdrifts are starting to stabilize it will take more time because of the amount of snow. Today it is best to stay away from steep open slopes on Annupuri and the surrounding mountains. An avalanche is just a natural occurrence, accidents don't happen if there are no people involved. The mountain will get better soon, have a safe day. --- Resort specific opening news at time of writing (subject to change during the day): Niseko Grand Hirafu The top Ace Number 4 and King Number 4 lifts are not moving at the start of the day due to wind conditions. Niseko HANAZONO Resort The top Hanazono Number 3 lift is not moving at the start of the day due to wind conditions. Niseko Village The top Wonderland Chair lift is not moving at the start of the day due to wind conditions. Niseko Annupuri The Annupuri Gondola and top Jumbo Number 4 lift is not moving at the start of the day due to wind conditions. --- Official resort snow depths as of Tuesday 21st February 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 320cm Base - 120cm Niseko Village Top - 300cm Base - 140cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 315cm Base - 140cm --- Night skiing is planned until Monday 20th March 2017 at the Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village resort areas. There is no nighta in the Hanazono area. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Tuesday 21st February 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 548cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 67 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (16th December) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 181cm reported on 22 days January 2017 snowfall 152cm reported on 18 days February 2017 snowfall 105cm reported on 13 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 9cm Snowfall at base this season 407cm Posted on Wednesday 25th January 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Anyway, fine blue skies early on in the day with clouds moving in late morning and then snow starting to fall. So what do I have to report to you this morning? There's 9cm of fresh snowfall at my measuring point is what. I see that the Avalanche Report this morning is reporting 20-30cm in places... so those places will no doubt be sought after this morning! Sounds good to me. It remains cold and light snow is falling. Things look calm to so I would expect everywhere to be opening as planned this morning. The forecast is still looking good for potentially heavy snowfall on Friday and consistent snowfall following that into next week. So far I have observed 116cm of snowfall during the month of January so we still have a lot of catching up to do to come close to the amount of snow that we have seen in January over previous recent seasons. (Data can of course all be seen below and on the Snowfall Analysis page). Fingers crossed. In the meantime, hope you have a fun day. --- Yesterday morning I had lots of fun skiing with some visitors from Australia. It was their first time in Niseko and they were having a blast. It was very interesting to hear them talk about the usual snow conditions at their home resorts and how their experience here in Niseko compares. I have never skied in Australia so am not in the position to be able to make comparisons. But it was one of those times when I realise that I need to remember to always appreciate being here and how fabulous Niseko is. Thanks, friendly Australian family. Still, those glossy Niseko marketing brochures that I avidly read each evening promise me the best snow in the world, so I stand by my right to have the highest expectations. Let's expecting. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -11℃, 20cm crystal snowfall. Moiwa800m: -11.4℃, NNW3.3, 30cm new snow, snowpack 160cm. Annupuri 1150m: -13℃, NW10m/s, 30cm new snow. Hirafu 1250m: -16℃, NW15m/s, 10cm snowfall. Kamui cape lighthouse: NNW5m/s, 1020hPa, 1.5m waves. Calm morning under a high-pressure band. Good snow has deposited in the west side and no notable slabs have formed. All gates are expected to open. Please listen to the ski patrol’s advice and be prepared for backcountry travels. Beacons and helmets are not mandatory, but highly recommended. Beacon checkers at gates are sensitive, please allow 3 sec lag between each other. The avalanche risk is low, however cornice fall or steep slope traverses can always trigger a slide. There will be many people in the out of bounds area today. Do not trigger an avalanche with a foolish act. Snowpack is still shallow, but the terrain remains and is fun. Overhead faceshots may block your sight, beware of hitting trees. Snowboarders may be better off carrying snowshoes. Always be vigilant. Prudency is key to avoid accidents. Have a nice day. --- Official resort snow depths as of Wednesday 25th January 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 280cm Base - 110cm Niseko Village Top - 220cm Base - 130cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 235cm Base - 135cm --- Night skiing is planned until Monday 20th March 2017 at the Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village resort areas. There is no nighta in the Hanazono area. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Wednesday 25th January 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 407cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 36cm (16th December) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 181cm reported on 22 days January 2017 snowfall 116cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 37cm Good morning from Niseko. Just a short while ago it was snowing, but as I write this at 8:30am we have some blue sky above us and the sun is shining (with some cloud still covering higher areas). Importantly, we have a blanket of fresh snow on the ground. There is around 10cm in base areas and hopefully more than that at higher elevations. This isn't going to be enough to get ski lifts moving yet, but it is a start. The blue skies of the moment aren't expected to last long, with snow due again later on and through tomorrow. 1pm update: Light snow has started falling. Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu ski area must be confident of a fair amount over the next 12-18 hours as it has announced plans to open tomorrow morning (Thursday 4th December). Hurray! The plan is for the Ace Gondola and Ace Number 3 lifts to operate with the Center Course available. I will of course bring you more on that, and any other news, tomorrow morning. Niseko Now 2025-2026 season Data as of Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Total snowfall at base so far 37cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 8 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 9cm (18th November) November 2025 snowfall 29cm reported on 7 days December 2025 snowfall 8cm 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 6cm Snowfall at base this season 123cm Posted on Tuesday 6th December 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This is a bit more like it. It is colder this morning and importantly there's 6cm of fresh snow outside my place here near Hirafu base. The temperature is currently slightly above 0C but we are actually expecting it to get colder as the day goes on. Strong winds may well affect lifts throughout the day, and I have posted the latest on that situation below. The forecast is looking very nice at the moment too, so here's to lots of fresh snowfall in the coming week. On and off by the looks of it rather than a full-on non-stop extravaganza but we'll see... bring it on, I say! --- Frequently asked question answered: "Why don't you post the reports earlier?" I probably usually spend about 30 minutes or so on this report every day. Sometimes it is a bit less than that and sometimes it is much more – it depends on what is happening at the time and what there is to report. The first lifts at the ski resorts in Niseko start moving at 8:30am and it is around that time when it becomes clear if there might be any interruptions or changes to plans. Early morning weather often changes quickly too – from the time I get up to when I am about the post my report. As such I usually try and get my report posted at around that time. It sounds like some people would like earlier reports but if I posted them earlier I wouldn’t have that up-to-date information at the time when the resorts open. And, I’d have to get up earlier. As dedicated as I am to these reports, I also need my beauty sleep and there’s a few things I need to do before settling down to report duties. If you are in Niseko and need to know what the weather is doing before my report time… I suggest looking outside the window! Joking aside, I see each of these reports as one piece of an ongoing commentary of the season, rather than something that is aimed exclusively at people who are in Niseko and checking the weather before rushing off for first lifts. --- A thank you to the kind people who sent me a message regarding the comments I made in my report yesterday. I wasn’t angling for comments, honest! Always appreciated, thank you. I will gambarimasu as much as possible and be particularly excited, when appropriate of course. --- What is planned to be open today? 8:30am update - the lifts at Annupuri are on standby at the start of the day due to strong winds. The other planned lifts appear to be starting the day as planned. Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Lifts planned to be operating: - Ace Family Pair - Ace Number 2 Center Four - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola - King Number 3 triple - Swinging Monkey - Hanazono 1 quad - Hanazono 2 quad - Hanazono 3 quad Courses planned to be open: - Family - Beginners access course - Shirakaba course - Center course - Jumbo course - Parallel course - Silver Dream (experts only) - Yotei Sunset Niseko Annupuri Lifts planned to be operating: - Jumbo Number 3 pair - Annupuri Gondola Courses planned to be operating: - Utopia Niseko Village Lifts planned to be operating: - Community Chair - Upper Village Gondola - Village Express (used as a connection) --- Official resort snow depths as of Tuesday 6th December 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 105cm Base - 35cm Niseko Village Top - 30cm Base - 10cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 55cm Base - 30cm Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Tuesday 6th December 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 123cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 25cm (25th November) November 2016 snowfall 110cm reported on 14 days December 2016 snowfall 13cm reported on 3 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 88cm Posted on Friday 25th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here 3PM UPDATE With a bit of blue sky above me as I write, I have some opening news for the Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Annupuri resort areas. Niseko Grand Hirafu will be opening for the season tomorrow morning. They plan to have the Ace Number 3 lift operating, from 8:30am until 3:10pm. The Ace Number 2 Center Four lift will also be operating to take excited people up to the open area... that open area being the Center Course. Special lift ticket prices of 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children and seniors applies from tomorrow until 30th November. Niseko Annupuri will also be opening from tomorrow. They plan to have the Jumbo Number 3 lift and the Gondola operating, the latter also just operating to get people up to the open area... that open area being the Utopia Course. The first gondola will start at 8:30am. Charges are 2,100 yen for adults and seniors and 1,300 yen for elementary school age children. Yey! --- ORIGINAL MORNING REPORT (all report data remains as per the original report time) It is a very good morning to you from here in Niseko. Oh yes, there is a very nice amount of fresh snowfall to report to you in this report. 25cm of it according to my hi-tech measuring stick. These are the kind of numbers that I like, as I am sure you do too. (Actually, coming to think of it I prefer 50cm... but 25cm will certainly do!) The cold conditions are continuing and it is still snowing lightly now as I write this, but it's expected to ease off late on and be slightly warmer with less chance of snow tomorrow. We will have to see if there is enough snow for the ski lifts at Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Annupuri to start moving from tomorrow - as of yet, there is no news from either resort. No doubt there are meetings going on now discussing that very thing... --- The planned dates for the four main Niseko United ski resorts. Dates may vary depending on snowfall: Niseko Grand Hirafu: as soon as there is enough snow until Sunday 7th May 2017 Niseko Annupuri: Saturday 26th November 2016 until Sunday 7th May 2017 Niseko Hanazono: Saturday 3rd December 2016 until Sunday 2nd April 2017 Niseko Village: Thursday 1st December 2016 until Sunday 2nd April 2017 Night skiing is planned from Saturday 10th December until Monday 20th March 2017 at the Annupuri, Grand Hirafu and Village resort areas. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Friday 25th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 88cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 11 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 25cm (25th November) November 2016 snowfall 88cm reported on 11 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 983cm Posted on Saturday 26th March 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. There's just about enough of a dusting for me to feel justified in awarding 1cm to the reports this morning. It's nice and sunny with lots of blue sky and some interesting looking clouds around. A fine start to the morning. Looks like we should be getting quite a lot of sun over the next few days at least. Today a high of around 3-4C is forecast, and slightly warmer conditions for tomorrow with lots more sunshine. I hope there might be some Easter bunnies out on the slopes giving out chocolate eggs (though perhaps not!). I'll just be happy to see the snow bunnies! :) I just took a look back at my report from this day last year and noticed that Niseko Grand Hirafu had an official snow depth (upper) of 440cm, and today it is on 350cm. Lower level official numbers were pretty much the same. Interesting. It will be interesting to see how it all lasts this season. --- Today sees that new Hokkaido Shinkansen train line open. Hurray! Not that I'm going to be using it... --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -1℃, no snowfall. Moiwa 838m: -4.1℃, E5m/s, Annupuri 1000m snowpack 310cm. Hirafu peak ridge: -7℃, some sprinkles without snowdrift. Benkei cape: N6m/s, Kamui cape: no wind, 1018hPa, 0.9m waves. The wind and snowfall is minimal under the moving high-pressure system. Surface slab avalanche hazard is low, however shallow but wide area slides are to be expected in steep slopes and knolls. Better keep spacing between each skiers. Heavy snowfall was observed in Yoichi-Dake and mountains surrounding Sapporo, however almost none in Niseko. The temperature is forecasted to rise and snow-blocks from cracks may fall. Full depth avalanches may also occur. Better avoid the valley bottoms. Most accidents can be avoided by using precautions. All gates are scheduled to open from the morning. There are Rules for out of bounds riding to respect in Niseko. You may have your lift pass confiscated if you duck a rope, even if you’re not familiar with the Rules. It is your responsibility to know the Rules and we strongly demand all guests to follow them. The snow is not too bad. Have a nice day. --- Official resort snow depths as of Saturday 26th March 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 350cm Base - 120cm Niseko Village Top - 340cm Base - 130cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 350cm Base - 130cm Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Saturday 26th March 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 983cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 983cm Posted on Sunday 3rd April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko. Actually, it's not a very good morning at all. It's raining, and quite heavily just at the moment as I write this. Yuck. I am hearing some people saying it might be (very wet) sleet up top, but honestly I'm really not sure I'd want to venture up there this morning! Right now strong winds and poor visibility are preventing the top lifts from opening. As today is the last day of the season for Hanazono and Niseko Village (well, until they plan to reopen for Golden Week), it would be a shame if we didn't get most of the day in over in those areas. Lasuto chansu! The good news is that hopefully it will soon be easing off to leave us with a mostly cloudy day, with a high temperature of around 9 degrees here at base. There should be a fair bit of sun from tomorrow. --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting (subject to change during the day): Niseko Grand Hirafu The top Ace Number 4 and King Number 4 lifts as well as the King Number 3, Ace Number 3 and Swinging Monkey lifts are on hold at the start of the day due to poor visibility. Niseko HANAZONO Resort Hanazono lifts haven't yet opened at time of writing... Niseko Village The top Wonderland lift is on hold at the start of the day. Niseko Annupuri The top Jumbo Number 4 lift is on hold at the start of the day due to strong winds and poor visibility. --- Official resort snow depths as of Sunday 3rd April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 335cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village Top - 330cm Base - 105cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 340cm Base - 100cm --- Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations from Monday 4th April: Ace Family Pair (8:30am-4:30pm) - until 10th April Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad (8:30am-4:30pm) Ace Number 3 Pair (8:40am-4:30pm) Ace Number 4 Pair (8:50am-4:30pm) Holiday Number 1 Pair (8:30am-4:30pm) - until 10th April Niseko Grand Hirafu are also going to be 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season. The Hirafu Gondola as well as the King Number 3 and 4 lifts will all finish for the season this coming Sunday, as well as the Hanazono area. All being well though, the Niseko Grand Hirafu area should be open until 5th May. Niseko Village plans to be open daily until Sunday 3rd April, and then from 29th April until 5th May. Morino Chair currently rested. Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Sunday 3rd April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 983cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 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 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 983cm Posted on Monday 4th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko and what we can probably call 'the last part of the season', though if they have their way there might be a full month left to go. The Niseko Hanazono and Niseko Village resort areas are now closed - though the latter plans to re-open just for Golden Week, details below - so we are left with just the Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Annupuri resorts remaining open now. Both are still offering top to bottom open courses. Happily the rain of yesterday is now a memory and while there is still a lot of cloud around this morning, there is some blue sky and clearer conditions are expected and a high of around 8C here at base later on. More sun is due through the coming week. And is that the chance of some fresh snow due as we enter next weekend? Yes, please! (Please note that while I will be writing my report tomorrow at the normal time, it may not appear until late in the day due to some technical maintenance work being done. Apologies!) --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting: Niseko Grand Hirafu Niseko Annupuri Both resorts opening as planned at the start of the day. --- Official resort snow depths as of Monday 4th April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 335cm Base - 90cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 340cm Base - 90cm --- Resort operations - subject to change due to snow and weather conditions Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations: Ace Family Pair - until 10th April Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 4 Pair Holiday Number 1 Pair - until 10th April The resort is going to be 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season - as part of this work the Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 and 4 lifts have all now closed for the season. Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to remain open until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May with the Gondola, Jumbo 1 and Jumbo 4 lifts operating. Niseko Village is currently closed but plans to be open again for Golden Week from Friday 29th April until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Hanazono has now closed for the season. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Monday 4th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 983cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 83 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 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 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 985cm Posted on Monday 11th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko and I have 2cm of fresh snow on the ground to report to you. It is still snowing lightly at the moment - bit wet - and I wouldn't expect it to last much beyond this morning... and we probably won't be getting much more in terms of additional cm. Tomorrow should be warmer as well with the sun due to make an appearance. At the moment both Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Annupuri seem to be opening as planned but stronger winds later on in the morning may well affect that situation, so best to keep an eye on that. It's great to see some fresh snow again and good to get some numbers in for April, albeit small ones! I feel duty bound to strap on the skis and go check it out. Hope to see some of you out there. --- One small bit of news to report - the Ace Family pair lift was due to be open until yesterday but seems to be continuing for one more week. --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting: Niseko Grand Hirafu Niseko Annupuri Both resorts appear to be opening as planned at the start of the day. --- Official resort snow depths as of Monday 11th April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 315cm Base - 65cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 325cm Base - 65cm --- Resort operations - subject to change due to snow and weather conditions Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations: Ace Family Pair - until 17th April Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 4 Pair Holiday Number 1 Pair - until 10th April The resort is going to be 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season - as part of this work the Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 and 4 lifts have all now closed for the season. Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to remain open until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May with the Gondola, Jumbo 1 and Jumbo 4 lifts operating. Niseko Village is currently closed but plans to be open again for Golden Week from Friday 29th April until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Hanazono has now closed for the season. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Monday 11th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 985cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 84 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 days April 2016 snowfall 2cm 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 987cm Posted on Tuesday 12th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning from Niseko and following on from yesterday there's another 2cm of snow to report this morning. Yesterday was fun with 10cm of so it must have been in places. It felt great to have that new soft layer under the skis. And what's more, this morning the sun is out and it is going to be a fine day. There's not much wind and so all should be open and... well, yes, it's a fine spring morning with a bit of fresh underground early on. We couldn't ask for much more at this stage. Well, not without being too greedy of course! Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to be getting some rain sometime tomorrow, even higher up, which is a bit rubbish. But all the more reason to head out again this morning. --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting: Niseko Grand Hirafu Niseko Annupuri Both resorts appear to be opening as planned at the start of the day. --- Official resort snow depths as of Tuesday 12th April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 315cm Base - 65cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 325cm Base - 60cm --- Resort operations - subject to change due to snow and weather conditions Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations: Ace Family Pair - until 17th April Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 4 Pair Holiday Number 1 Pair - until 10th April The resort is going to be 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season - as part of this work the Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 and 4 lifts have all now closed for the season. Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to remain open until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May with the Gondola, Jumbo 1 and Jumbo 4 lifts operating. Niseko Village is currently closed but plans to be open again for Golden Week from Friday 29th April until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Hanazono has now closed for the season. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Tuesday 12th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 987cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 85 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 days April 2016 snowfall 4cm 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 0cm Snowfall at base this season 987cm Posted on Friday 22nd April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning once again from Niseko. It is a fine spring morning here with blue skies and warm conditions continuing, with a high temperature of 18 degrees forecast for Kutchan town. With the warmth the snow close to base is now quickly drying up and disappearing. Always a sad thing to see. There's not much of a wind at all and I expect the planned lifts to be operating as normal this morning. After today it looks like temperatures should drop a little and while sun is still on the forecast for tomorrow, there might be a chance of a bit of rain early morning as well. --- 'Golden Week' is fast approaching. So what exactly is Golden Week? For those of you who don't know, Golden Week is a number of national holidays that happen close to each other giving lots of people a nice holiday in late April and early May. Most tourist spots get very busy as a result! Depending on what days they fall, some years it is a considerably long period. This year, the actual national holidays are 'Showa Day' on Friday 29th April, 'Constitution Day' on Tuesday 3rd May, 'Greenery Day' on Wednesday 4th May and 'Children's Day' on Thursday May 5th. This means that this year Golden Week looks like this: * 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) No doubt some folk will be taking Monday 2nd May and Friday 6th May as a holiday as well giving them a 10 day break. Nice. Thursday 5th May is scheduled to be the last day of the snow season here in Niseko. --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting: Niseko Grand Hirafu Niseko Annupuri Both resorts will likely be able to open as normal this morning. --- Official resort snow depths as of Friday 22nd April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 285cm Base - 20cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 280cm Base - 20cm --- Resort operations - subject to change due to snow and weather conditions Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations: Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 4 Pair The resort is 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season. As part of that work the Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 and 4 lifts have all now closed for this season. Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to remain open until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May with the Gondola, Jumbo 1 and Jumbo 4 lifts operating. Niseko Village is currently closed but plans to be open again for Golden Week from Friday 29th April until Thursday 5th May. Niseko Hanazono has now closed for the season. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Friday 22nd April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 987cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 85 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 days April 2016 snowfall 4cm 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 989cm Posted on Saturday 30th April 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello from Niseko and guess what... there's a bit of snow on the top of my car this morning. Hurray! Just a thin layer but there's enough to add a little to the season snowfall tally which ends April - and very probably the season - on 992cm. Niseko Grand Hirafu have actually added 5cm to their upper area snow depth this morning so you know where to head. There is quite a lot of cloud still hanging around but a bit of blue sky as well. It's chilly too, so don't go out without an extra layer this morning. Tomorrow will very probably be warmer and then Monday and Tuesday warmer still - though it still won't be getting much over 15 degrees here at base. --- It's....'Golden Week'. * 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) Monday and Friday next week are 'normal weekdays'. Thursday 5th May is scheduled to be the last day of the official snow season here in Niseko. --- Resort specific lift opening news at time of posting: Niseko Grand Hirafu Looks like lifts might be delayed opening. Official reason - de-icing! Niseko Annupuri The Gondola and Jumbo Number 4 look set to start the day on hold. Looks like strong winds up there. --- Official resort snow depths as of Saturday 30th April 2016: Niseko Grand Hirafu Top - 255cm Base - 0cm Niseko Annupuri Top - 230cm Base - 10cm --- Resort operations - subject to change due to snow and weather conditions Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area lift operations: Ace Number 2 Center Four Quad (* this lift now used to get to and from the open courses - you can no longer ride back to base) Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 4 Pair The resort is 'upgrading' the King Number 3 triple lift in time for next season. As part of that work the Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 and 4 lifts have all now closed for this season. Niseko Grand Hirafu plans to remain open until Thursday 5th May. Courses open - Large, Center, Shirakaba (Spring Park) Niseko Annupuri plans to be open until Thursday 5th May with the Gondola, Jumbo 1 and Jumbo 4 lifts operating. Niseko Village plans to be open for Golden Week until Thursday 5th May. The Gondola can be used as a way of getting to Niseko Grand Hirafu and for sightseeing. None of the courses at Niseko Village are open. Niseko Hanazono has now closed for the season. Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Saturday 30th April 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 989cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 86 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (17th February) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 17 days January 2016 snowfall 303cm reported on 26 days February 2016 snowfall 266cm reported on 22 days March 2016 snowfall 109cm reported on 14 days April 2016 snowfall 6cm reported on 3 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