Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 285cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Merry white Christmas from Furano. As predicted the rain arrived and it definitely is a front of heavy rain, at the moment anyway. Yesterdays warm temperatures are still here and it will get even warmer today, going up to +5c in the day, before heading back down into solid negatives in the evening. Apart from the rain the wind is likely to increase in intensity this morning to very strong levels which may interfere with lift operations potentially. The good news in all of this is that once the rain has passed a lot of snow will be upon us. In the meantime I'll go and have my coffee, open my presents and wait for the rain to ease up. Furano Zone open. Kitanomine Zone open. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 285cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (5th December) November 2017 snowfall 125cm reported on 13 days December 2017 snowfall 160cm 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 Furano. 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 211cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Morning from Shiga Kogen. Happy Christmas. It has started snowing now and strong gusty winds are blowing... we're at the start of a storm which will hopefully bring us a decent amount of snow over the next few days. It should be getting much colder too - relatively mild for the moment. Wind will probably be around as well but hopefully it won't affect operations too much - I'd check with the resorts themselves though if you plan to get out in this. All areas of Shiga Kogen except Hasuike are now at last part open. Official snow depths numbers reported by different areas of Shiga Kogen: Most areas of Shiga Kogen is now at least part open. Please note that these numbers are the official numbers that ski resorts publish. Giant 50cm Higashitateyama 70cm Ichinose Family 90cm Ichinose Diamond 90cm Kumanoyu 65cm Maruike 30cm Nishitateyama 40cm Okushiga Kogen 120cm Sun Valley 30cm Takamagahara Mammoth 90cm Terakoya 70cm Yakebitaiyama 120cm Yokoteyama 70cm Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 211cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 164cm 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 Shiga Kogen. 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 0cm Snowfall at base this season 145cm Posted on Monday 25th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Merry Christmas and good morning from Hakuba. It would have been nice to be able to report fine clear skies after 30cm of fresh snow overnight but unfortunately it's a much less appealing set of things to report this morning. It's a mix of rain/sleet down below and snow and wind up top. And actually as I am about to post this report the rain is turning into snow in some base areas which is good to see and hopefully we'll be getting snowed on properly down here too sooner than later today. And I am pleased to see that the forecast is still looking good for decent snow for most of this week. Fresh snow to report from the upper areas this morning is 5cm by Happo-one, 1-3cm by Hakuba Cortina, and 47/Goryu are also reporting up to 10cm of snow. Early on this morning strong winds are affecting the top Line E lift at Hakuba 47 and it looks like many lifts are on hold at Tsugaike Kogen and the top lifts at Happo-one are also affected. That's about it for today. Hope to bring you news of fresh snow on the ground tomorrow morning. I hope you have a good day wherever in the world you are! Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Most lifts (apart from a few lower lifts) are now operating - Wind affecting top lifts at the start of the day Courses open: - The majority of course areas are now (at least part) open - Areas still closed: Kurobishi off-piste, Nakiyama Wall, Nakiyama North, Central, Shirakaba North Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 165cm - Usagidaira: 115cm - Lower: 45cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 2 & 4 are operating Courses open: - All courses apart from Cosmo River, Straight Whisky, Snow Diving and Adventure are open Official snow depth: - Top: 205cm - Toomi: 70cm - Iimori: 35cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Line D are operating - Top lift affected by wind at the start of the day Courses open: - All main courses are open - The Tree Riding Zone is now open (Gate 3 closed) Official snow depth: - Top: 165cm - Base: 50cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Most lifts are now operating - Wind is affecting many lifts at the start of the day Courses open: - All courses areas apart from Kane-no-naru-oka 2 are open Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 175cm - Han-no-ki: 175cm - Maruyama: 45cm - Shirakaba: 60cm - Oya-no-hara: 45cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 30cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Number 5 are operating Courses open: - Ikenota - Hieda Forest - Mt Hieda 1 - Mt Hieda 2 - Mt Hieda 3 - Itadaira - Ipponmatsu - Rabbit - Kamoshika Official snow depth: - Top: 155cm - Base: 85cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Operating lifts: - Gondola - View 2 - 4 East - 5 South - Paradise triple - Line Courses open: - View C - View D - East - South - Gezan - Sunny Valley (part) - Paradise (part) - by1 (part) Official snow depth: - Top: 100cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Operating lifts: - All lifts apart from Alps Number 3, Alps Number 7 and Alps Number 10 are operating Official snow depth: - 80cm Hakuba Valley Kashimayari Operating lifts: - Number 1, 2, 3 and 6 lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Sanosaka Operating lifts: - All three lifts are operating Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Monday 25th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 145cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (21st November) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 98cm 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 Hakuba. 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 482cm Posted on Sunday 24th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Merry Christmas. Yes, here in Japan Christmas Eve (night) seems to be 'Christmas' more than Christmas Day itself. If that clumsy explanation makes sense! It's a night filled with joy, mostly featuring couples or families enjoying some traditional Kentucky Fried Chicken and delightfully light and fluffy decorated sponge cakes. And on the subject of delightfully light and fluffy - actually, I don't have any cm of fresh snowfall to report this morning. Doh! There was actually some light snow falling at times during the day yesterday, but it didn't amount to much in the end. That was all expected of course. No need to evacuate seeking better conditions just yet with regular snowfall - heavy at times, with added strong winds - due to be with us come tomorrow. Don't be too shocked if it rains before it snows again though. It shouldn't last long. For the moment early this morning there is a lot of cloud around (bit of sun peeking through in places) and it is relatively mild and calm. Lots of people were enjoying some gate action yesterday, though hearing various reports of some 'ducking' going on too. Let's respecting the rules, folks. There're really not there just for the sake of having some boring rules. And I think it is always good manners to respect the rules of places you are visiting. Anyway, enjoy today. And prepare for what's to come! --- With most lifts now operating I have adjusted the resort specific information bit below. I'll continue to update the official snow depth data as well as noting any resort-specific information in the space below every day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6.00am: -2°, no new snow, calm. Moiwa 800m : -4.1°, WSW1.2m/s, no new snow. Annupuri 1150m: -6°, no new snow, calm. Hirafu 12500m: -8°, no new snow, calm. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:SSW4m/s. Kamui Cape: SW10m/s, 1018hPa, wave 0.9m. The atmospheric pressure is stable and weather is calm. As a low pressure system approaches this afternoon expect temperature to rise, southerly wind to pick up and wet snow start to fall. From observation, data and snowfall transition the general avalanche risk is low. Gates are expected to be open this morning. Listen to the patrols advice. Yesterday was the first day peak gates opened this season and lots of people used them to ride out of bounds. There was no accidents but some people were still ducking ropes. Thanks to all who respect the rules. Although today's avalanche risk is low we never know what is going to happen in the mountains. Always use caution. The weather is expected to deteriorate this afternoon. Head home a little earlier today. At Annupuri 1000m on the ridge side, the cornice has grown to about 7m high and 150m long. Today the grooming machines will flatten it out, keep your distance while they are working. Be careful when visibility is bad, the cornices are very high at the moment and easy to fall off if you don't see them. The weather is turning bad today. Make decisions based on the current situation. Niseko is paying serious attention to the safety of users. Have a good day. --- Sunday 24th December 2017 Resort specific information (operations subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu & Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - All lifts except Ace Number 4 and King Number 2 are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 285cm - Base: 135cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - All lifts are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 210cm - Base: 160cm Niseko Village Lifts operating: - All lifts except Country Road Chair are operating Official snow depth: - Top: 220cm - Base: 170cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted below (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Ace Family quad, Ace Number 2 quad, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 pair Niseko Annupuri Jumbo Number 1 quad lift Niseko Village: Village Express, Upper Village Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Sunday 24th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 482cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 294cm 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 7cm Snowfall at base this season 482cm Posted on Saturday 23rd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Santa is in town. Reports from Nozawa this morning are obviously 'fake' - perhaps my reporting friend down there has just been misled... ...and the resorts are opening up top gates for him. According to the Avalanche Reports, gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 should be opening this morning. Hurray! Yesterday we enjoyed some lovely weather in the afternoon. Blue skies and sunshine. Marvellous. I have 7cm of snow to report this morning from my base and it's mild - well, relatively mild of course, with temps currently hovering around zero. Light snow is falling here in Hirafu as I write this but I think we can expect it to ease off this morning and we may get some more sun between now and tomorrow evening. I have just taken a quick look at the forecast. Late Sunday-early Monday onwards looks pretty good for potentially heavy snow and strong winds. Another storm looks to be on the horizon. Until now, pesky winds haven't been much of an issue this season; that may well change come early week. Perhaps Santa doesn't have any control over that kind of thing. In the meantime, I hope you have a good Saturday. More people piling into Niseko now as things get more lively by the day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -1℃, 5cm of low-pressure snowfall. Moiwa800m: -1.6℃, S1.4m/s, heavy snowfall 15cm without snowdrifts development. Annupuri1000m: -2℃, light NW breeze, 15cm snowfall. Hirafu1200m: -3℃, light breeze, 10cm snowfall and bad visibility. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW9m/s, Kamui cape SSW2m/s, 1014hPa, 0.6m waves. The isobars are spread out, however a low-pressure area is hovering above Niseko, generating 10-15cm of humid snow and falling. The snowdrifts that formed yesterday are stabilizing with time and the avalanche hazard is lowering. The current snowfall is likely to slide in 40°steep slopes. Danger of falling cornice on the peak ridge is lowering. Peak chairs are scheduled to run from the morning. Gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 are also scheduled to open today. Looking at the snowfall transition and observations, the avalanche risk under treeline is relatively low. Avoid cornices and knolls and ride one by one. If stopping halfway on the slope, choose a spot away from avalanche path. The Niseko Rules have been established in order to protect all resort users’ safety and freedom to ride in the out of bounds area. Please respect it for your own sake. Do not duck ropes. Collapsing cornices sometimes trigger an avalanche. Extra caution is required in Higashi-One. Visibility is bad, be vigilant. Precaution is key to avoid accidents. Have a nice weekend. --- Saturday 23rd December 2017 What's planned to be open today in Niseko (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts operating: - Hirafu Gondola (* nighta) - Ace Number 1 pair lift - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift (* nighta) - Ace Number 3 pair lift - Ace Family quad lift (* nighta) - Holiday Number 1 pair lift (* nighta) - Swinging Monkey - King Number 1 pair lift - King Number 3 quad lift - King Number 4 Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - All lifts operating Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - All lifts operating Niseko Village Lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Banzai Chair - Community Chair (* nighta) - Upper Village Gondola (* nighta) - Village Express (* nighta) - Wonderland Chair --- Official resort snow depths on Saturday 23rd December 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 295cm Base - 145cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Top - 210cm Base - 160cm Niseko Village Top - 220cm Base - 170cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted above. Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 23rd December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 482cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 294cm 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 208cm Posted on Saturday 23rd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . Good morning from Shiga Kogen. Just a light dusting of snow early this morning but the clouds have been clearing up and currently the sun is shining down on us. So here we are on 23rd December and from today most of Shiga Kogen is - at least part - open. We're not at 'fully' open yet, but the main skiable connections are not mostly available. Terakoya and Higashidateyama are notable exceptions; I can clearly see that the latter is in need of more snow. Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 23rd December 2017 Total snowfall at base 208cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 161cm 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 Shiga Kogen. 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 Hakuba region of Nagano New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 145cm Posted on Saturday 23rd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Hakuba Now report can be found here . Another beautiful day yesterday. Lots of updates have been made to the resort specific lists this morning (below), so be sure to check them out. The main headlines: - The Grat quad lift and top course at Happo-one is now open - All of Goryu-47 is now open, including the Iimori area - The Tree Riding Zone at Hakuba 47 is now open This morning there's 5cm of fresh snow to report though curiously the resorts aren't reporting much - Cortina are mentioning just 2cm, Goryu are mentioning 0cm (!) and 47 report 10cm. Perhaps due to the snow starting early morning. But anyway a bit of a layer of fresh snow out there. Snow cover is not a problem but we could do with some more... So what about heavy snowfall? This coming week shows lots of exciting potential with heavy snowfall due to be with us from tomorrow night or Monday morning - and it's due to continue for at least a few days. We should be a getting a lot of snow out of this, so we can look forward to renewed excellent conditions. Before that, sun is on the forecast for tomorrow (and perhaps later today) --- the calm before the storm, hopefully. Enjoy your day. Hakuba Happo-one Operating lifts: - Gondola Adam - Alpen quad lift - Hakuba Riesen quad lift - Nakiyama Number 3 triple lift - Panorama pair lift - Kokusai Number 1 pair lift - Kokusai Number 3 pair lift - Kurobishi Number 2 quad lift - Skyline Number 2 pair lift - Sakka Kita-one quad lift - Sakka Number 2 pair lift Courses open: - Majority of course areas are now at least part open - Areas still closed: Kurobishi off-piste, Nakiyama Wall, Nakiyama North, Central, Shirakaba North Official snow depth: - Kurobishi: 175cm - Usagidaira: 120cm - Lower: 55cm Hakuba Goryu Operating lifts: - Goryu Telecabin (gondola) - Alps Number 1 pair lift - Alps Number 3 pair lift - Toomi Sky four lift - Toomi Number 1 pair lift - Toomi Number 2 pair lift - Milky four lift - Number 1 high speed pair lift - Number 6 pair lift - Cosmo four lift Courses open: - All courses apart from Cosmo River, Straight Whisky, Snow Diving and Adventure are open Official snow depth: - Top: 205cm - Toomi: 70cm - Iimori: 40cm Hakuba 47 Operating lifts: - Line 8 Gondola - Line AB pair lift - Line C quad lift - Line E high speed pair lift Courses open: - All main courses are open - The Tree Riding Zone is now open (Gate 3 closed) Official snow depth: - Top: 185cm - Base: 60cm Tsugaike Kogen Operating lifts: - Most lifts now operating Courses open: - All courses areas apart from Champion and Kane-no-naru-oka 2 are now open Official snow depth: - Tsuga-no-mori: 170cm - Han-no-ki: 170cm - Maruyama: 50cm - Shirakaba: 60cm - Oya-no-hara: 45cm - Kane-no-naru-oka: 40cm Hakuba Cortina Operating lifts: - Number 1 pair lift - Number 2 quad lift - Number 3 lift - Number 4 pair lift - Number 6 lift Courses open: - Ikenota - Hieda Forest - Mt Hieda 1 - Mt Hieda 2 - Mt Hieda 3 - Itadaira - Ipponmatsu - Rabbit - Snake (confirming) Official snow depth: - Top: 168cm - Base: 90cm Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Operating lifts: - Gondola - View 2 - 4 East - 5 South - Paradise triple - Line Courses open: - View C - View D - East - South - Gezan - Sunny Valley (part) - Paradise (part) - by1 (part) - by2 (part) Official snow depth: - Top: 100cm - Base: 30cm Hakuba Norikura Onsen Operating lifts: - Alps Number 4 pair lift - Alps Number 5 high speed pair lift Official snow depth: - 80cm Hakuba Valley Kashimayari Operating lifts: - Number 1 quad lift - Number 2 pair lift - Number 3 quad lift - Number 5 pair lift - Number 6 quad lift - Number 7 pair lift Official snow depth: - 60cm Hakuba Sanosaka Operating lifts: - Number 3 quad lift Official snow depth: - 70cm Hakuba Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Saturday 23rd December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 145cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 23cm (21st November) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 5 days December 2017 snowfall 98cm 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 Hakuba. 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 11cm Snowfall at base this season 475cm Posted on Friday 22nd December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This morning I measured 11cm of fresh snowfall to add to the report as the snow keeps on piling up. Well, actually, not at the moment as it has eased off leaving us with generally cloudy skies at the moment. It is going to be slightly less cold today as well and over the next few days temperatures may well venture into low positive numbers during the daytime. It remains to be seen if we will get to see much sunshine. So it seems we are going to have a little breather from the relentless snowfall. I'm not exactly sure why but as we approach 8:30am it would seem that the top lifts at Hirafu, Village and Annupuri are on hold. Hopefully that should be a temporary early morning thingie. Not to fear. Colder temps and snow should be back by Monday. Remember, Santa-san should be here in Niseko over the weekend. Obviously, his chosen destination. (Note: there might even be some dudes dressing up and pretending to be Santa-san around town; don't be fooled by them!) As per the Avalanche Report below it seems that decisions are yet to be made regarding gates. There's lots of talk about them opening tomorrow, but we'll have to wait and see. I will of course bring you any news when I have it. I hope you have a fun day wherever you are. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 4am: -1℃, light snowfall, calm. Moiwa800m: -4.9℃, W5.5m/s, developing snowdrifts and cornices, light snowfall, good visibility. Annupuri/Hirafu data n/a. Coastal data: NNW10m/s, WSW8m/s, 1021hPa, 1.3m waves. The wind is calming down as the atmospheric pressure gradient is flattening. The snowdrifts are stabilizing, however a weak layer of yesterday’s hail is present at around 40cm depth. Leeward cornice/knoll slopes above 800m are starting to stabilize, however precaution is still required. 150cm thick slab avalanche hazard continues in strictly off limits Haru no Taki area. South facing slopes are the most affected by the sun and thin wet snow slabs that can be the trigger of a large slide are more likely to form. Potential trigger layer is Dec 14th’s low pressure system snowfall. Many of the avalanche accidents occur during and just after storms and heavy snowfall. Looking at the snowfall transition of the last few days, if a slide occurs in the Backbowl’s higher slopes, it would be a very large avalanche that would run a very long distance at a great speed. Do not underestimate the hazard of avalanches. Once the wind calms down and snowfall stops, the snowpack will eventually stabilize. Just a little more patience, please. The snow in the trees is dense and in great shape. Peak lifts operation is undecided as hazard of cornice collapse off the peak is present. Once safety is confirmed, the lifts will start running. Peak gates opening will be delayed. Have a nice day. --- Friday 22nd December 2017 What's planned to be open today in Niseko (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts operating: - Hirafu Gondola (* nighta) - Ace Number 1 pair lift - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift (* nighta) - Ace Number 3 pair lift - Ace Family quad lift (* nighta) - Holiday Number 1 pair lift (* nighta) - Swinging Monkey - King Number 1 pair lift - King Number 3 quad lift - King Number 4 Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad lift - Hanazono Number 2 quad lift - Hanazono Number 3 quad lift Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift (* nighta) - Jumbo Number 2 pair lift - Jumbo Number 4 pair lift - Dream Number 1 quad lift Niseko Village Lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Banzai Chair - Community Chair (* nighta) - Upper Village Gondola (* nighta) - Village Express (* nighta) - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair --- Official resort snow depths on Friday 22nd December 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 300cm Base - 150cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Top - 210cm Base - 160cm Niseko Village Top - 210cm Base - 150cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted above. Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Friday 22nd December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 475cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 287cm 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 38cm Snowfall at base this season 464cm Posted on Thursday 21st December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here A very good morning to you from Niseko. Is it still snowing? Yes, it most certainly is. And today I add another 38cm of snow to the report. I am kidding you not. That brings my observed snowfall for the season so far to a whopping 464cm. Eek! I see the report for today below is saying 'the snow is great, but maybe too deep'. That's just silly isn't it. ;) But seriously, while it is natural to get jolly excited and worked up about the special situation we are currently experiencing with all this lovely snowfall, we do indeed need to be remain mindful of the dangers that such things bring with them. Enjoy, but be careful. It really does look like once the snow clouds clear up and disperse today, we are going to have a few days break from snow and perhaps get some of that sunshine we have been expecting on the forecast. If we do get some sun, enjoy it while it lasts...because more snow expected from Christmas Day. Welcome to all of you folk arriving in Niseko at the moment. You chose wisely. Have fun! It won't be difficult. :) --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -７℃, 20cm snowfall, calm. Moiwa800m: -9.6℃, W4.1m/s, 40cm snowfall, large development of snowdrifts. Annupuri1150m: -10℃, 40cm snowfall, NW10m/s, not easy to groom. Hirafu1200m: -10℃, 40cm snowfall, snowpack 280cm. Costal data: Benkei cape NW9m/s, Kamui cape W10m/s, 1014hPa, 1.7m waves. The isobars are spreading out, a westerly wind is stagnating around 10m/s on the ocean and the mountains. The overnight snowfall deposited large settlements of snowdrifts in leeward slopes around 800m. The snowdrifts are growing stably, however is growing too big. The avalanche risk is relatively low, however always think safety first. The snowpack in Hirafu is almost reaching 300cm. 100+cm thick avalanche is likely to occur in strictly off-limits Haru no Taki area, due to drastic accumulation of snowpack and forming of unstable slabs. If the sun comes out today, surface slabs will keep forming and hazard level will rise drastically. Do not enter strictly off-limits area, they are banned for good reasons. The snow is great, but maybe too deep. Beware of suffocation during falls. This season’s snowfall is surprising people from around the world. Peak gates are scheduled to open this weekend. Please respect the ski patrol’s decisions. Do not duck ropes and respect the Niseko Rules. --- Thursday 21st December 2017 What's planned to be open today in Niseko (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts operating: - Ace Number 3 Pair lift - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift (* nighta) - Ace Family quad lift (* nighta) - King Number 3 quad lift - Hirafu Gondola (* nighta) - Holiday Number 1 pair lift (* nighta) - Swinging Monkey - King Number 4 Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad lift - Hanazono Number 2 quad lift - Hanazono Number 3 quad lift Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift (* nighta) - Jumbo Number 2 pair lift - Jumbo Number 4 pair lift - Dream Number 1 quad lift Niseko Village Lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Banzai Chair - Community Chair (* nighta) - Upper Village Gondola (* nighta) - Village Express (* nighta) - Wonderland Chair --- Official resort snow depths on Thursday 21st December 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 320cm Base - 155cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Top - 200cm Base - 140cm Niseko Village Top - 210cm Base - 150cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted above. Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Thursday 21st December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 464cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 31 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (21st December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 276cm 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 19cm Snowfall at base this season 426cm Posted on Wednesday 20th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here 'Only' 19cm of fresh snow to report on this cold and snowy morning. Light snow falling as I write this report with somewhat limited visibility outside from the look of the webcam images. It looks like we might be heading towards a few days where there might not be much fresh snowfall along with milder conditions. Don't worry, though, as Santa will be here with his presents and more snow by Monday. With all the snow we have had, I think there's probably more than a few people looking forward to the chance of a day or two featuring some blue sky and sunshine. If it's not snowing, some sun would be nice... though we'd like it to remain as cold as possible of course to keep the snow in fine condition. Hearing more about probable plans for gate openings... soon! Yey! --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6.00am: -9°, 15cm new snow, light winds. Moiwa 800m : -12°, W10.8m/s, 20cm new snow, major snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -15°, W16m/s, 30cm new snow, major snowdrift development. Hirafu 1200m: -16°, light blizzard, 15cm new snow, poor visibility. Coastal data: Benkei Cape:NW16m/s. Kamui Cape: WSW14m/s, 1020hPa, wave 2.2m. The winter weather pattern has not changed. Overnight the atmospheric pressure gradient increased, winds picked up, and seas have been increasing hour by hour. Snowdrifts on south west facing slopes between 800 and 1200m, there has been 120cm new growth on top of Jan 12-14 low pressure snowfall layer. Gusting conditions has caused uneven development , expect fractures between 60-120cm depending on location. From observation and snowfall transition, the avalanche risk is high on cornice and knolls slopes between 800-1100m. Today is cold. This morning the isobars are moving apart and wind will drop, however take care of frostbite. Do not stimulate knolls or cornices on open slopes, ride one by one. Do not wait in the valley bottoms. Snow in the forest is heavier than yesterday but still has good bounce. Do not enter strictly off limits areas Haru no Taki and Yu no Sawa. From the snowfall transition Haru no Taki is especially dangerous. Peak gates are still being prepared at Hirafu and Annupuri aiming for Friday opening. Please listen to the patrols advice. Winter came early this year, have a good season. --- Wednesday 20th December 2017 What's planned to be open today in Niseko (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts operating: - Ace Number 3 Pair lift - Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift (* nighta) - Ace Family quad lift (* nighta) - King Number 3 quad lift - Hirafu Gondola (* nighta) - Holiday Number 1 pair lift (* nighta) - Swinging Monkey - King Number 4 Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts operating: - Hanazono Number 1 quad lift - Hanazono Number 2 quad lift - Hanazono Number 3 quad lift Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Lifts operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad lift (* nighta) - Jumbo Number 2 pair lift - Jumbo Number 4 pair lift - Dream Number 1 quad lift Niseko Village Lifts operating: - Niseko Gondola - Banzai Chair - Community Chair (* nighta) - Upper Village Gondola (* nighta) - Village Express (* nighta) - Wonderland Chair --- Official resort snow depths on Wednesday 20th December 2017: Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazono Top - 300cm Base - 140cm Niseko Annupuri Kokusai Top - 190cm Base - 140cm Niseko Village Top - 190cm Base - 130cm --- Floodlit 'nighta' skiing: Night skiing is planned for every evening at the Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Niseko Annupuri areas. There is no nighta at the Niseko HANAZONO area. Ski lifts that are scheduled to be operating for nighta are noted above. Niseko Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 20th December 2017 Total snowfall at base so far 426cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 30 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (19th December) November 2017 snowfall 188cm reported on 11 days December 2017 snowfall 238cm 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 281cm Posted on Wednesday 20th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . It is another cold -9c morning here in the town and the temperature is set to top out at a not warm -6c. Luckily there is little in the way of wind, just a slight breeze evident at the moment. New snow on the ground is respectable at 5cm and will mean the groomers will be in fantastic powdered corduroy condition. However, due to very overcast skies I would expect some low light conditions on the slopes. Tomorrow looks promising with the sun likely to be out. Furano Zone open. Kitanomine Zone partially open. Kitanomine Gondola closed. Furano Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 20th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 281cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 30 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 28cm (5th December) November 2017 snowfall 125cm reported on 13 days December 2017 snowfall 156cm 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 Furano. 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 Shiga Kogen region of Nagano New snowfall at base 8cm Snowfall at base this season 206cm Posted on Wednesday 20th December 2017 This is an archived report. The latest Shiga Kogen Now report can be found here . After that good start to the day yesterday, we were into snowfall and windy weather conditions again by the afternoon. Not huge amounts of snow this time though. And this morning... we're back to clear skies and sunshine. There's more of this due over the next run of days too, probably until Sunday. It's really cold this morning but we can expect somewhat warmer conditions late week and over the weekend. The cold will be back for Monday though and that is when the next decent snowfall is expected. No fresh snowfall expected before the weekend but I do expect more areas to open at the weekend. More people will be here for Christmas and in the run up to New Year, so as much as possible will be open. Areas of Shiga Kogen that are at least part open: - Okushiga Kogen - Yakebitaiyama - Ichinose Yamanokami - Ichinose Diamond - Ichinose Family - Tannenomori - Takamagahara Mammoth - Maruike - Sun Valley - Kumanoyu - Yokoteyama - Shibutoge Shiga Kogen Now 2017-2018 season Data as of Wednesday 20th December 2017 Total snowfall at base 206cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 38cm (14th December) November 2017 snowfall 47cm reported on 6 days December 2017 snowfall 159cm 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 Shiga Kogen. 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