Independent snow and weather reporting from the Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 32cm Snowfall at base this season 45cm Posted on Tuesday 8th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Over the last few days Furano has been blessed with significant early season snowfalls. On Saturday 12cm was recorded in the Kitanomine village, followed by a further 15cm on Sunday morning. This morning a further 5cm accumulated on the ground. At the moment the snow has changed into light rain and this will persist until evening when the precipitation should revert back to snow. Wednesday looks like it will deliver moderate snowfalls again. The cooler temperatures combined with the early season snow has meant that the ski area has been able to retain and compound the early season snow. The upper mountain on the Furano Zone has been compacted and groomed and is looking fantastic. The resort had set an official opening date for Furano Ski Area of 26 November 2016. However with the current amount of snow on the resort, this date has been reviewed and the resort now plans to bring the opening date forward by one week to 19 November 2016, subject to snow and weather conditions permitting. Attached to this report are two photos taken yesterday. Furano Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Tuesday 8th November 2016 Total snowfall at base 45cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 32cm (8th November) November 2016 snowfall 45cm 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 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 Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 4cm Snowfall at base this season 18cm Posted on Sunday 6th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I may have had a number of months off my daily Niseko reporting duties, but I was thinking that I would have a bit more time to re-charge in this first part of November - but the weather is thinking differently. I'm not complaining. So, yesterday we ended up being rained on. And quite heavily at times too. Boo! But, this morning I have woken to another 4cm of snow on the ground here at base. Hurray! Strong winds as well at the moment. They should calm down as the day goes on and we might get to see some sunshine tomorrow, and a day or two of slightly warmer conditions. It's shaping up to be an interesting pre-season. --- We are now less than 3 weeks away from the first ski lifts opening in Niseko. Below are the planned dates for the four main resorts: Niseko Grand Hirafu: Wednesday 23rd November 2016 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 Sunday 6th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 18cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 11cm (5th November) November 2016 snowfall 18cm 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 11cm Snowfall at base this season 14cm Posted on Saturday 5th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello everyone from here in Hirafu... and I'm actually quite excited this morning. Last night the snow started to fall once again and this morning there's 11cm of it outside my place with more snowy conditions forecast for the day today, with it easing off by early tomorrow morning. Without giving too much away, once the new SnowJapan updates go online it will be very easy for you to compare snowfall in recent seasons. Last season it looks like it was the later part of November before we got any proper numbers, so we are enjoying a positive start this season. Let's hope it continues that way. We are now less than 3 weeks away from the first ski lifts opening in Niseko. Below are the planned dates for the four main resorts: Niseko Grand Hirafu: Wednesday 23rd November 2016 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 Saturday 5th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 14cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 11cm (5th November) November 2016 snowfall 14cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 3cm Posted on Friday 4th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning everyone, and I have some more snow to report this morning - 3cm of it in fact, down here at base. Things were looking green and brown once again during the day yesterday, but the snow started falling last night and this morning we're back to white once again. I wonder how much there is higher up there on the mountains... More snowfall is forecast on and off over the next few days along with some cold temperatures but it looks like it should get a bit warmer early next week. --- We are now less than 3 weeks away from the first ski lifts opening in Niseko. Below are the planned dates for the four main resorts: Niseko Grand Hirafu: Wednesday 23rd November 2016 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. --- 'Where are those SnowJapan updates?', I hear you asking! Well, as far as I can tell they are going to be coming very soon as the guys make their final preparations. It's all very complex by the sounds of it, and I can believe it with the major changes being made. Hopefully the launch of the new content will go smoothly. Keep your eyes on the main site for the latest news. I will be back here with some more Niseko Now reports with news of snow as we approach the opening of the season. Niseko Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Friday 4th November 2016 Total snowfall at base so far 3cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 3cm (4th November) November 2016 snowfall 3cm reported on 1 day 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 7cm Snowfall at base this season 13cm Posted on Friday 4th November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Although we have had a taste of wintery weather on and off up until now it seems this time the real winter weather has arrived. Yesterday turned very cold and it started snowing midway through the day. The difference this time was that the ground temperatures have dropped and the snowfall settled on the road easily. By early evening there was an accumulation of 7cm in the village and reports of substantially more on the mountain itself. This morning the cold weather remains with us and a check of the thermometer reveals it is still a chilly 0c at 9am. The roads remain frozen from overnight and are very white and icy this morning. It continues to snow now and the forecast is for more snow throughout today, with a further 6cm expected and then on top of that a whopping 18cm predicted at mid mountain level throughout Saturday. The start to winter in Furano is looking very positive. Furano Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Friday 4th November 2016 Total snowfall at base 13cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 2 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 7cm (4th November) November 2016 snowfall 13cm 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 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 Furano region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 6cm Snowfall at base this season 6cm Posted on Tuesday 1st November 2016 This is an archived report. The latest Furano Now report can be found here . Well, it is that time of year where we are in the run up stage to the 2016-17 ski season. Wintery weather has definitely set in and house heating systems are cranked up to compensate for the fall in temperatures outside. First snowfalls have been early in Furano this year which is a really promising sign for a good winter. Over the past month there have been several dustings of snow to village level. None of these settled on the roads but there were some accumulations on lawns around town. The ski area has retained its whiteness for some time now. It is actually a really picturesque time of year with the golds, reds and browns of autumn mixed in with the fresh whiteness of winter. Sunday morning was the first snowfall that accumulated on the roads in the village and we awoke to find a very respectable 6 centimetres. Winter has started! Furano Ski Area has set a target opening date of 26 November 2016 subject to snow and weather conditions being suitable. This is actually just over 3 weeks out from today which is pretty exciting. It is time to go searching through the house for all the equipment and clothing I need for opening day. Today is cloudy with the weather drifting between light snow flurries and drizzle. Morning temperatures were siting right on 0c at 8am this morning in Kitanomine. From here on, any significant snow and weather events will be reported on Furano Now. Stay tuned... Furano Now 2016-2017 season Data as of Tuesday 1st November 2016 Total snowfall at base 6cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 1 day Most snowfall observed in 1 day 6cm (1st November) November 2016 snowfall 6cm reported on 1 days 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 Naeba region of Niigata New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 222cm Weather overview Cloud, light snow Wind Varied Temperature - Visibility Fair Posted on Monday 31st December 2012 This is an archived report. The latest Naeba Now report can be found here. Well, yesterday was one of the best-forgotten kind of day, and this morning we do have snow... but not a whole lot really. Just a sprinkling at base of Naeba with 5cm reported on the top of the resort and at Kagura. Heavier and wetter than the perfect kind of snow as well, but we'll take it. Snowfall is still forecast for the day, though as I am writing this I can actually see some patches of blue sky up there and the sun is trying to win through. Noooo! Snow please. That same forecast says snow for the next few days well into the week, so lets hope they get it right and we get a nice new delivery of the dry variety for new year. Have fun tonight and see you in 2013. Official resort snow depth: Naeba - 140cm Kagura - 270cm Naeba Now 2012-2013 season Data as of Monday 31st December 2012 Total snowfall at base so far 222cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed on 1 day 60cm (10th December) November 2012 snowfall 3cm observed on 1 day December 2013 snowfall 219cm observed 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 Naeba. 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 18cm Snowfall at base this season 170cm Posted on Friday 18th December 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning and I have another 18cm of snow to report this morning from here in base. Feeling nice and cold and the snow condition is looking good. Nice and dry. A bit more of the mountain is opening up this morning with the resorts trying to open as many courses as they can. I would expect more still for the weekend especially if we get a bit more snow during the day today... and we expecting it today and tomorrow, with the snow clouds easing off from Sunday. Colder conditions are expected to continue over the next few days, so be sure to wrap up and go out prepared. It looks like things might get slightly warmer again early in the week but hopefully not like we saw in the period previous to this snowfall. More people are continuing to arrive in the Niseko area now and Christmas just one week away! It's a good job that more terrain is opening up. Hopefully not long now before it's all open. Anyway it should be a good weekend! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -3℃, snowing. 20cm of fresh snow in 12 hours without notable development of snowdrifts. The wind is stagnating around 10-15m/s westerly at 1000m elevation. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW12m/s, Kamui cape WSW10m/s, 1016hPa, 2.1m waves. A typical winter pressure pattern is generating snow. The pressure gradient is small ad wind remains light accordingly. The snowdrifts are developing but stabilizing quickly. However, 50cm slab slides from Dec 12th layer are still to be considered in south facing cliffs and off-limits areas. Do not duck ropes and stimulate these aspects. Most of the avalanche accidents occur in leeward steep slopes with heavy deposit of snowdrifts during storms. The conditions are getting better, but the snowpack is still shallow. Beware of stumps and bushes. Gates opening will take while. This information is released for the sake of all resort users. Always stay humble in the mountains and think safety first. --- Resort specific news as of 8:45am - subject to change during the day The lifts market with an asterix (*) below are planned to be open for night skiing Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts planned to be running: - Ace Family pair* - Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four (for transport) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola (for transport) - King Number 3 triple - Holiday Number 1 pair - Swinging Monkey Courses planned to be open: - Family - Beginners access - Center - Shirakaba - Green - Kokutai (upper part) - Alpen - Sennoki - Kogen - Boyo - Holiday - Rinkan (part) - Jumbo Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts planned to be running: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad Courses planned to be open: - Connecting - Parallel - Silver Dream - Stairway to Heaven - Setsuzoku course - Crystal Garden - Yotei Sunset (ungroomed) Niseko Village Lifts planned to be operating: - Niseko Gondola - Community Chair* - Banzai Chair* Niseko Annupuri Lifts planned to be operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad* - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair Courses planned to be open: - Utopia - Shirakaba - Paradise - Junior - Family - Dynamic - Silver --- Official resort snow depths as of 18th December 2015: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 175cm Base - 60cm Niseko Village: Top - 70cm Base - 40cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 70cm Base - 60cm Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Friday 18th December 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 170cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 12 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (30th November) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 109cm reported on 8 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 41cm Posted on Sunday 29th November 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This is a bit more like it! Yesterday ended up mild and sunny but temperatures dropped later in the day and it got cold. There is some snow on the ground this morning after it started falling last night, and it is still snowing now with a fairly strong wind blowing around as well. It seems the forecast is for snowfall to ease off later today but hopefully resume sometime tomorrow. There is not enough snow to get the lifts moving just at the moment - but look to an opening of some upper slopes before the full mountain opens...more snow up there and all that. Niseko Grand Hirafu resort this morning reports 10cm at base and 40cm up top. Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Annupuri are on standby to open as quickly as possible, with Niseko Village planning to open on Tuesday and Hanazono on Saturday. I will bring you the latest information tomorrow. --- Planned opening dates for the Niseko resorts: Niseko Grand Hirafu: as soon as there's enough snow Niseko Annupuri: as soon as there's enough snow Niseko Village: Tuesday 1st December Niseko HANAZONO: Saturday 5th December 'Nighta' should be starting on Saturday 12th December Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Sunday 29th November 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 41cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 3 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 18cm (25th November) November 2015 snowfall 41cm 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 24cm Snowfall at base this season 212cm Posted on Saturday 26th December 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Thank you Santa! I have a very respectable 24cm of fresh snowfall at base to report this morning. My friend at the resort is reporting over 35cm up there higher up on the mountain. It was snowing through the day yesterday and at times in a particularly Niseko-like fashion. That's what we like! It feels like winter has started for proper. OK, so with this fresh snowfall there's new lift and course action as well. Top lifts are now open, as are top ski-able (and indeed snowboard-able) connections. But the resorts are advising only for 'advanced skiers' due to trees and things still sticking up from the snow which is still less than what we expect peak season. Hopefully not for long. Niseko Grand Hirafu have added their King Number 4, King Number 1 pair and Ace Number 1 pair lifts to 'operating' status. Niseko Village plan to have their top Wonderland Chair operating this morning; Niseko Annupuri have their top Jumbo Number 4 lift due to be operating. I see that at the time of writing this the Niseko Gondola is running at a slow speed, probably due to wind conditions. Let's hope they don't affect things too much today. There's lots more snow lined up today (it's still snowing) and right through until the middle of next week. This is more like it and long may it continue. Have a blast out there today and take care. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -7℃, snowing, 20cm of light crushed crystal snow in 12hours. Moiwa Mikaeri 800m: -8℃, W10m/s, notable development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1000m: -13℃, W15-20m/s, large development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW16m/s, Kamui cape WNW14m/s, 1008hPa, 2.5. waves. Snowdrifts are developing with the persistent 15m/s westerly wind. These snowdrifts have drastically built up to 100cm thickness in some leeward slopes around 1000m. The wind may calm down in the afternoon and the snowdrift development may also slow down, however 60cm class surface slabs slides will be highly likely to occur in 40 grade slopes. Even the smallest avalanches can be powerful enough to burry a person to asphyxiation. Although the snowdrifts may be good snow to ski on, it is wiser to stay away from steep slopes in tight gullies and/or under chairlift lines for now. Beware also of freshly buried obstacles lurking just beneath the surface. The snow in the out of bonds area is still insufficient and gates’ opening is still to be confirmed. Please refrain from stepping out until the gates open. NEVER enter strictly off limits areas and NEVER duck any ropes. You are risking your lift ticket and maybe your season. Please respect the Niseko Rules. Winter has finally come. --- Planned resort operations (subject to change due to weather conditions during the day) The lifts market with an asterix (*) below are planned to be open for night skiing Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts planned to be running: - Ace Family pair* - Ace Number 1 pair - Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four* (for transport) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola* - King Number 1 pair - King Number 3 triple - King Number 4 - Holiday Number 1 pair* - Swinging Monkey Courses planned to be open: - Family - Beginners access - Center - Shirakaba - Green - Kokutai - Ni-kabe - Alpen - Sennoki - Kogen - Boyo - Rinkan - Jumbo - Dynamic Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts planned to be running: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad Courses planned to be open: - Connecting - Parallel - Silver Dream - Stairway to Heaven - Setsuzoku course - Crystal Garden - Yotei Sunset (ungroomed) Niseko Village Lifts planned to be operating: - Niseko Gondola - Community Chair* - Banzai Chair* - Morino Chair - Wonderland Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts planned to be operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad* - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair - Jumbo Number 4 pair Courses planned to be open: - Utopia - Shirakaba - Paradise - Junior - Family - Dynamic - Silver --- Official resort snow depths as of Saturday 26th December 2015: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 220cm Base - 80cm Niseko Village: Top - 140cm Base - 80cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 90cm Base - 70cm Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Saturday 26th December 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 212cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 24cm (26th December) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 151cm reported on 12 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 188cm Posted on Friday 25th December 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko and ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! Santa started his deliveries of snow last night with 7cm of it outside my place here at base this morning. He has promised much more. It doesn't feel particularly cold this morning and the snow that has fallen isn't the lightest for sure, but later on today the temperatures are expected to drop further and it should be pretty cold tonight. Most importantly, snow clouds are due to be over the region right into early next week and hopefully bring us lots of lovely fluffy snow. Cold temperatures into next week too so come prepared for the conditions. That old friend of Niseko - 'Wind' - may well play a part this weekend as well with blizzard like conditions possible. We're ok for this morning though so a good time to go out and enjoy the modest new layer early on. Snow conditions should be quickly improving by the day now if the forecast is right... Have a fun day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: -1℃, flurries of wet crystal snow, 5cm in 12 hours, no development of snowdrifts. -3℃ and 90cm snowpack at Moiwa peak. Light snow and wind is continuing and snowdrifts are moderately developing. Coastal data: Benkei cape wind NNW11m/s, Kamui cape wind WNW6m/s, pressure 1006hPa, waves 0.6m. A passing small low-pressure system made the wind shift westerly and brought some, relatively wet, but good snow. The groomers conditions is good in the morning, however sunlight is weak and visibility is poor. Beware of hitting obstacles. The general avalanche risk is low except for steep 40+ grade slopes. Carefully follow the coming snowfall transition as the hazards may rise quickly. Avalanche occurrence in Niseko is closely related to the rapidly growing snowdrifts that develop during storms. Do not duck ropes to seek fresh tracks, it is against the Niseko Rules and all resort users are expected to respect them. --- Planned resort operations (subject to change due to weather conditions during the day) The lifts market with an asterix (*) below are planned to be open for night skiing Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts planned to be running: - Ace Family pair* - Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four* (for transport) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola* - King Number 3 triple - Holiday Number 1 pair* - Swinging Monkey Courses planned to be open: - Family - Beginners access - Center - Shirakaba - Green - Kokutai - Ni-kabe - Alpen - Sennoki - Kogen - Boyo - Rinkan - Jumbo Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts planned to be running: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad Courses planned to be open: - Connecting - Parallel - Silver Dream - Stairway to Heaven - Setsuzoku course - Crystal Garden - Yotei Sunset (ungroomed) Niseko Village Lifts planned to be operating: - Niseko Gondola - Community Chair* - Banzai Chair* - Morino Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts planned to be operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad* - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair Courses planned to be open: - Utopia - Shirakaba - Paradise - Junior - Family - Dynamic - Silver --- Official resort snow depths as of Friday 25th December 2015: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 190cm Base - 55cm Niseko Village: Top - 85cm Base - 60cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Friday 25th December 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 188cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 15 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (30th November) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 127cm 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 181cm Posted on Monday 21st December 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning from Niseko. It's milder this morning and unfortunately it's also... raining. I am hearing that wet snow is falling higher up, but it's a bit wet down here for the moment. Still, a thin layer of snow to add to the total before it gets washed away. Temperatures here at base might rise to about 4C later on this afternoon but it should get colder as it gets dark this evening and we should (hopefully) get some snow down to base overnight that I can report to you tomorrow morning. There's lots of cloud and mist around early this morning too so visibility is probably rather limited up there on the slopes. Still looking good for decent snowfall at Christmas along with very cold temperatures. Just what we want. Niseko is getting busy... we need everywhere to be open. --- Niseko Avalanche Report: Niseko base 6am: +1℃, 3cm of wet snow. 600m altitude: 10cm of wet snow, mild wind and no development of snowdrifts. 1000m altitude: W15m/s and snowing. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW15m/s, Kamui cape W8m/s, 1020hPa, 1.3m waves. Warm air is flowing in as the next low pressure system approaches. Wet snow is falling and unstable slabs in leeward slopes are likely to slide during the day. Caution required under chairlift lines and sidebanks. The pre-low pressure snowfall has the characteristic to transform into a weak layer under the next cold storm snowdrifts slabs. Avalanches occur when the conditions allow and are not dependant on the amount of snowfall. They are natural occurrences and only become an accident if someone is involved in it. Carefully follow the snowfall transition of the next few days. Sleet at the base, but snow in higher altitude. Sticky snow, so softer wax is recommended. Access gates are yet to be set up, please respect the Niseko Rules and refrain from stepping out of bounds. --- Planned resort operations (subject to change due to weather conditions during the day) The lifts market with an asterix (*) below are planned to be open for night skiing Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts planned to be running: - Ace Family pair* - Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four* (for transport) - Ace Number 3 pair - Hirafu Gondola* - King Number 3 triple - Holiday Number 1 pair* - Swinging Monkey Courses planned to be open: - Family - Beginners access - Center - Shirakaba - Green - Kokutai - Ni-kabe - Alpen - Sennoki - Kogen - Boyo - Holiday - Rinkan - Jumbo Niseko HANAZONO Resort Lifts planned to be running: - Hanazono Number 1 quad - Hanazono Number 2 quad - Hanazono Number 3 quad Courses planned to be open: - Connecting - Parallel - Silver Dream - Stairway to Heaven - Setsuzoku course - Crystal Garden - Yotei Sunset (ungroomed) Niseko Village Lifts planned to be operating: - Niseko Gondola - Community Chair* - Banzai Chair* - Morino Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts planned to be operating: - Annupuri Gondola - Jumbo Number 1 quad* - Jumbo Number 2 pair - Jumbo Number 3 pair Courses planned to be open: - Utopia - Shirakaba - Paradise - Junior - Family - Dynamic - Silver --- Official resort snow depths as of Monday 21st December 2015: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 165cm Base - 60cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 70cm Base - 60cm Niseko Now 2015-2016 season Data as of Monday 21st December 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 181cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 20cm (30th November) November 2015 snowfall 61cm reported on 4 days December 2015 snowfall 120cm reported on 10 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