Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 25cm Snowfall at base this season 725cm Posted on Thursday 16th January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here After the somewhat disappointing 'only 15cm' in the report yesterday, we are back to 25cm since yesterday in todays report. I'm only kidding about the disappointing bit of course. After I posted the report yesterday morning we were treated to clearer and sunny conditions again for a while. Could the same happen again today? You know what, it actually might and there are signs of some blue sky showing through in places and the sun. It was snowing lightly earlier but has eased off now. There's a moderate wind this morning but apart from a few lifts moving at slower speeds, all is open. Anyway, obviously it was back to snowfall in time for that new delivery to report this morning. It's a good pattern - one that I would encourage those in charge of assigning the snow deliveries to stick to more often! So yes this morning we have yet another decent refresh on the mountain. It's interesting, many other resorts might not need the refresh as much as Niseko due to the popularity of this resort area. Popularity means that places get tracked out quicker. That also means that we perhaps suffer more than other places when conditions are dry. Good job we have that ongoing consistency. (Hope I haven't jinxed anything by saying that). Looking ahead, the forecast is actually for calm conditions over the next few days and a break in the daily heavy snowfall. I will of course report the latest to you here every day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -9C, 25cm crystal snowfall in 12 hours, no snowdrift development. Moiwa 800m: -11C, W8m/s, 30cm of fresh, overnight snowdrift development 80cm. Annupuri 1150m: -13C, 40cm of snowfall, notable snowdrift development. Hirafu 1000m: -11C, 20cm of fresh. Peak 1308m: -15C, NW13.1m/s. Wind forecast NW15m/s at noon. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW15m/s, Kamui cape W11m/s, 1.6m waves, 1018hPa. Intermittent snowfall continues under typical wintry pressure pattern. The isobars will start narrowing down as the low-pressure system shifts east and the wind will start picking up again. Wind-affected slopes are forming soft-slabs, however the snow under treeline is good. The general avalanche risk is low except in steep slopes of the Backbowl and Higashi-One cornice area. The cornces have grown big and are very unstable. Better stay away from them as they could largely collapse with a slight stimulation. Some cracks are starting to form especially in knoll terrain, these cracks are hard to see from above, please be careful not to fall in there. Gates opening is yet to be decided, please follow the ski patrols instructions. Do not duck ropes, use gates to access the out of bounds areas. The resort is always concerned about all user’s safety, and the Niseko Rules has been set for the sake of all resort users. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 420cm Base - 220cm Niseko Village: Top - 320cm Base - 220cm Annupuri: Top - 260cm Base - 210cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 16th January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 725cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 47 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 327cm reported on 16 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 2cm Snowfall at base this season 737cm Posted on Sunday 19th January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Just a few cm of snow to report from here in Hirafu village area this morning. It has been a somewhat dull and overcast start to the day here though things have been clearing up away from the mountain and looking out towards Yotei where there's lots of clear blue sky. Some bright areas on the lower mountain as well at the moment... feels like it's going to clear up again? Fairly strong northerly winds this morning are affecting some of the lifts at resorts including the Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo 3 and 4 lifts; the Niseko Gondola and Wonderland Chair at Niseko Village; the King Number 3, King Number 4 and Ace Number 4 lifts at Grand Hirafu; and the top Hanazono lift. Wind speeds of up to 19m/s being logged by the people over on Annupuri. Hopefully see some more snowfall later on tonight and then it looks like it'll be on and off for the first half of the coming week, but probably nothing major in terms of snow. Come on now... we want our refills! Snow falling or not, it is going to remain cold. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -10C, trace new snow in the last 12 hrs, falling from 5am.Moiwa 800m -11C, wind W from 5am, Annupuri 1150m -13C, wind NNW 15m/s, some snow drift development. Hirafu 1000m -12C, wind N15m/s, snowfall and snow drift development from 5am. Annupuri Peak 1308m -12.5C, wind N17.6m/s – wind predicted at noon NW15m/s. Cape Benkei SE3m/s, Cape Kamui ESE3m/s, wave 2m, pressure 1014hpa. Little snowfall in the last 24hrs and the mountain is tracked out. Isobars are moving closer together and snow clouds will develop. Above 800m rapid development of snow drifts is expected. Backcountry conditions are not good, gates 2 & 3 will be closed, others yet to be decided. Please follow Patrols decisions. The Jan 17th frost layer will become possible fracture layer in future snowpack. Avalanche occurrence and scale are related to how the snow has fallen. During and directly after storms are high risk times for avalanches in Niseko. Today the danger of avalanches is high on steep slopes due to wind effected slabs. The mountain conditions change everyday, dont over estimate your skills, safety first. Dont duck ropes looking for fresh lines, Beware trees, cracks. Have a great day. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 400cm Base - 195cm Niseko Village: Top - 320cm Base - 220cm Annupuri: Top - 270cm Base - 210cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Sunday 19th January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 737cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 49 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 339cm reported on 18 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 745cm Posted on Tuesday 21st January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here About 5cm of new snowfall to report this morning though it looks from the report below that resort areas have seen up to 15cm of fresh up there. Less wind this morning, it feels nice and calm and while there's still cloud around there's lots of blue skies around. It's a lovely morning. Still, the chance of snowfall sometime later on today and also tomorrow as well. Things have of course calmed down since that magnificent run of snowfall until last week so let's take a breather and look at some of the numbers for January so far. Remember these numbers are observed snowfall, here in the Hirafu village area. -- 347cm of snow for January 2014 -- 60cm of that being in the last 7 days -- 740cm total for the 2013/2014 season so far The corresponding numbers as posted on January 21st 2013 were: -- 370cm of snow for January 2013 -- 123cm in the last 7 days -- 906cm total for the 2012/2013 season so far Last season JMA recorded 268cm of snow in Kutchan town for the whole of January. So far this January, that same number is on 228cm. Let's see how those numbers pan out come the end of the month! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -9C, 10cm new snow in the last 12hrs. Moiwa 800m: -11C, wind SW5m/s. 15Cm new snow, no snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: -12C, 15cm new snow, minor snowdrift development, wind WSW8m/s. Annupuri peak1308m: -12.8C, wind WNW5.9m/s, wind predicted to be NW10m/s at noon. Hirafu 1000m: -11C, wind calm, 15cm new snow. Cape Benkei: NW7m/s, Cape Kamui: N8m/s, wave 0.6m, pressure 1011hPa. There is no significant pressure gradient and both ocean and mountain are calm. From current observation the general avalanche risk is low. All gates are expected to be open. Please listen to the Patrols advice before going through the gates. This daily avalanche report is issued to help protect peoples right to enter the backcountry. The mountain contains many dangers, avalanches being just one danger. Beware trees, cracks and other hidden hazards. Make careful decisions without overconfidence and don’t rely too much on your equipment. You can not be too careful. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 390cm Base - 180cm Niseko Village: Top - 320cm Base - 220cm Annupuri: Top - 270cm Base - 210cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Tuesday 21st January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 745cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 347cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 740cm Posted on Monday 20th January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Hirafu. Another cold morning with a current temperature of -10 degrees and just a few cm of new snowfall to report and quite calm here at village level though the avalanche report tells us to to expect winds of around 10m/s around noon today. For now all resorts look set to go for the day. Weather conditions are currently cloudy with light snow being reported by Grand Hirafu but nothing major. Fingers crossed we'll get back into larger snowfall numbers from later on tomorrow. There's not much else to report really this morning, so until tomorrow! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -10C, 3cm new snow in the last 12hrs. Moiwa 800m: -13C, wind W5m/s. Annupuri 1150m: -14C, 5cm new snow, no new snowdrift development, wind W10m/s. Annupuri peak1308m: -14.3C, wind W2.5m/s, wind predicted to be W10m/s at noon. Hirafu 1000m: -13C, trace new snow. Cape Benkei: NNW9m/s, Cape Kamui: NW 4m/s, wave 0.9m, pressure 1009hPa. Calm weather at both ocean and mountain. No obvious snow drift development. Generally the avalanche risk is low except for Kozon no sawa (back bowl) side walls. All gates are expected to open. Yesterdays tracks are not covered , be careful of falling and hitting trees. Cracks are hard to see from above, take care. Once you pass through the gates you are not in the ski area any more. Please follow the patrols advice. Be prepared. Do not duck ropes. Snow is shallow and fast. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 380cm Base - 185cm Niseko Village: Top - 320cm Base - 220cm Annupuri: Top - 270cm Base - 210cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Monday 20th January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 740cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 50 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (14th January) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 342cm reported on 19 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 1cm Snowfall at base this season 172cm Posted on Wednesday 11th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here So yesterday wasn't a particularly nice day. Lots of rain which has obviously not helped the snow out there and washed a fair bit away - base of Hirafu now on 30cm. Oh well, at least it will have compacted. As if by magic though, in these circumstances, Annupuri are going to be starting up the Jumbo Number 1 quad lift over there. Niseko Village are doing some checking on the course by the Gondola and so that lift isn't moving early on. Happily this morning it is colder - though not mad cold - and a light cover of snow welcoming us this morning. It is snowing lightly, cloudy and a bit of a wind as I write this report. It's still looking positive ahead though starting tomorrow, though I must say that some forecasts do seem to have downgraded the forecast somewhat (ie. less snow forecast than before). We'll just have to wait and see, and I will of course let you know how it pans out. Planned lift operations: Grand Hirafu: Ace Family Pair Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four King Number 3 Triple Swinging Monkey Hirafu Gondola Holiday Number 1 Pair Hanazono: Hanazono Number 1 Quad Hanazono Number 2 Quad Hanazono Number 3 Quad Niseko Village: Gondola (testing and closed early on) Community Chair Banzai Chair Annupuri: Gondola Jumbo Number 1 quad Jumbo Number 3 --- Official snow depth numbers: Grand Hirafu: Top - 130cm Base - 30cm Hanazono: Top - 145cm Base - 75cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 40cm Annupuri: Top - 90cm Base - 60cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Wednesday 11th December 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 172cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 49cm reported on 7 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 196cm Posted on Friday 13th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This is something more like it. Some decent snowfall yesterday afternoon and last night particularly and this morning there is 20cm of fresh snowfall to report from Hirafu. Remember, that means more up there on those mountains. Grand Hirafu have changed their official snow depths to 60cm at base and 160cm at peak. Nice and cold -3C as well. Snow conditions were actually pretty decent yesterday considering the weather we had before it, but with this new delivery of fine powdery snow the conditions should be great today. Light snow still coming down as I write this report and hopefully it should be falling right the way through for at least two more of my morning reports. I would expect further terrain to be open for the weekend, but there's no details on that to share right at the moment. For now, I'll just enjoy watching the snow come down for a while before getting out there. Get wrapped up well it should be a cold and snowy weekend. --- Planned lift operations: Grand Hirafu: Ace Family Pair Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four King Number 3 Triple Swinging Monkey Hirafu Gondola Holiday Number 1 Pair Hanazono: Hanazono Number 1 Quad Hanazono Number 2 Quad Hanazono Number 3 Quad Niseko Village: Gondola Community Chair Banzai Chair Annupuri: Gondola Jumbo Number 1 quad Jumbo Number 3 --- Official snow depth numbers: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 160cm Base - 60cm Niseko Village: Top - 90cm Base - 50cm Annupuri: Top - 95cm Base - 60cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Friday 13th December 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 196cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 18 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 73cm reported on 9 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 4cm Snowfall at base this season 176cm Posted on Thursday 12th December 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Yesterday ended up with lovely blue skies above Niseko in the afternoon and this morning I just have another few cm to report. It's a bit colder again this morning and snowing now. Niseko Grand Hirafu have added 5cm to their base and peak snow depth numbers since yesterday. So decent snow is falling at the moment, so let's hope it continues throughout the day. There's a moderate to strong wind reported on upper slopes and it seems a few of the upper lifts (King Number 3, Hanazono Number 3) are running at slower speeds due to the wind. The forecasts have it snowing now through the weekend. Bring it on, I say. --- Planned lift operations: Grand Hirafu: Ace Family Pair Ace Number 3 Pair Ace Number 2 Quad Center Four King Number 3 Triple Swinging Monkey Hirafu Gondola Holiday Number 1 Pair Hanazono: Hanazono Number 1 Quad Hanazono Number 2 Quad Hanazono Number 3 Quad Niseko Village: Gondola (testing and closed early on) Community Chair Banzai Chair Annupuri: Gondola Jumbo Number 1 quad Jumbo Number 3 --- Official snow depth numbers: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 135cm Base - 35cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 40cm Annupuri: Top - 90cm Base - 60cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 12th December 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 176cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 17 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 53cm 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 10cm Snowfall at base this season 408cm Posted on Wednesday 1st January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Happy New Year! Celebrations aplenty in the area last night (some probably still going on) and some fireworks to bring in the New Year. I don't know if I was imagining it, but there seemed to be less people up and out and about around 8am when I was walking through the village. Can't think why! We have 10-15cm or so of new snow as well since my last report, though it's a fairly mild morning hovering around 0C and not the most light and fluffy variety. Down here anyway, a bit heavy. It was snowing earlier but eased off as I write this report. But snow is forecast for the day, and tomorrow and the day after and... well, basically for the coming week. If the forecasts are right, we won't be seeing a whole lot of the sun. Temperatures should dip as well later on today so we'll be back to the cold and I would imagine some fine quality snow will be delivered. I can't go without mentioning the wind. From the get go a few lifts aren't moving (see below) and stronger winds likely later on in the day. So there may well be disruption on the mountain and if you are planning on being out there an advance check is highly recommended. It's probably not going to calm down much in that respect tomorrow, though hopefully the snow conditions will make up for that. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -2C, 5cm of new snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -4C, 10cm of new snow, moderate development of snowdrifts, westerly 10m/s wind. Annupuri 1000m: -5C, 5cm of new snow, westerly wind picked up from 5am 15m/s, development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: benkei cape WSW7m/s, Kamui cape S16m/s , 1m waves, 991hPa. Peak wind forecast at noon: westerly 18m/s. Light pre-low pressure snowfall and wind-drift snow accumulation is small. The snowpack has stabilized except in upper area of 1000m leeward cornice & knoll slopes. The overall avalanche risk is low. A January 1st layer will form in the future snowpack due to temperature change. A westerly wind is forecasted to pick as the low pressure passes. Gates opening is still undecided. Please respect the ski patrol decisions. The snow condition is ever changing. Hazard evaluation in Niseko is based on the snowfall transition and snowpack observations. Avalanches are likely to occur during storms and become an accident if a person happens to be there. This information is published to protect the freedom to ski/ride the backcountry, but at the same time, to also protect the general safety of all resort users. We are hoping that everyone makes good use of it and respect the Niseko Rules. Beware of sudden weather changes today. The snow in the trees is nice. Happy New Year 2014. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 250cm Base - 100cm King 3, King 4 and Hanazono 3 lifts affected by wind. Niseko Village: Top - 170cm Base - 120cm Gondola and Wonderland chair affected by wind. Annupuri: Top - 145cm Base - 130cm Jumbo Number 4 affected by wind. Gondola was earlier, but seems to be ok now. Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Wednesday 1st January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 408cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 32 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (14th, 15th and 24th December) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 10cm 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 15cm Snowfall at base this season 423cm Posted on Thursday 2nd January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here 15-20cm of fresh snow to report this morning, where I can measure it anyway. Winds are still with us. Yesterday was something of a wild day in terms of weather conditions. It didn't start off too bad, and great snow conditions to be found, but around mid morning things got worse and we were treated to strong winds and a bit of thunder and lightning as well just to add to the drama. The Annupuri area closed completely from just after 10am due to the weather conditions. The quad and Jumbo number 2 lifts managed to open again just before noon, only to close very soon after and that was it for the day. They did try! The Country Road and Morino Chair lifts at Niseko Village were closed just after noon, and over at Hirafu the gondola stopped around 3pm, but was able to open again just after 4pm into nighta. The Hanazono area ended up closed from around 2pm. Unfortunately we still have strong winds to deal with and this morning the Annupuri area is closed and waiting to see if conditions improve. The other areas are open with a few lifts affected, as noted below. Subject to change during the day of course. Snowfall and cold conditions are still on the forecast through into next week, so when the winds don't mess things up we should be looking at very fine conditions every day. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, 20cm of wind-affected crushed crystal snow and notable development of snowdrifts. Moiwa 800m: NW16m/s, stormy, -10C, considerable development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: NW16-20m/s, -11C, considerable development of snowdrifts, hard wind-packed snow in high altitude. Heavy snow and high wind with considerable snowdrifts development in Hirafu area. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW19m/s, Kamui cape WNW19m/s, 2.4m waves, 999hPa. A strong wintry weather pattern is generating heavy snowfall and high winds, making considerable snowdrift developments in leeward slopes. Avalanche risk is extreme today. All peak gates will be closed. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. The avalanche hazard will remain high for a little while after the storm calms down. Do not duck ropes to seek fresh lines. Do not traverse across steep slopes or slopes under cornices. Stay away from valley bottoms. Ski one by one, not all at once. Never enter strictly off-limits area. Value the Niseko Rules to protect the freedom to go out of bounds. The snow in the trees is heavy but pretty good. Have a nice day. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 270cm Base - 110cm King 3, King 4 and Hanazono 3 lifts not operating due to wind. Niseko Village: Top - 180cm Base - 125cm Gondola and Wonderland chair not operating due to wind. Annupuri: Top - 145cm Base - 130cm Not open at time of writing. Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 2nd January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 423cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 33 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (14th, 15th and 24th December) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 25cm 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 15cm Snowfall at base this season 453cm Posted on Saturday 4th January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Another nice cold morning with another 15cm or so of new snowfall to report. It's not going to get much above -5 degrees here at base today, with temperatures down into minus double figures higher up. Go out prepared! And prepared for some excellent snow conditions as well. No doubt some people want to see clear skies and some views, but I think most people will be in Niseko primarily to experience those famous snow conditions. On that score, this weekend will definitely deliver. Having said that, there are signs that the clouds might clear a bit this morning and the sun might even try to make an guest appearance at today and tomorrow. Even so, the snow clouds probably won't be far away, if we are to believe the forecasts. All resort areas on the mountain seem to be open as planned this morning with the only exception being a late start for the Swinging Monkey lift at Hirafu due to some kind of maintenance. We're still in New Year mode in Japan, and it is still busy out there. Most Japanese go back to work early in the week and so it's back to something like normal from Monday. Peak season in Niseko though is never quiet! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -7C, 10cm of crystal snow. Moiwa 800m: NW8m/s, 10cm of fresh, moderate development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: NW12m/s, -9C, 10cm of fresh, moderate development of snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: 10cm of fresh, moderate development of snowdrifts. Annupuri peak 1308m: NW11m/s, -14C. Wind forecast at noon: NW15m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW13m/s, Kaui cape WNW9m/s, 1.4m waves, 1007hPa. Isobars are spacing out and the wind is stagnating below NW15m/s. No drastic development of snwdrifts can be observed and the general avalanche risk is low. Peak gates are scheduled to open. Seek for ski patrol’s advice at the gate before stepping out of bounds. The resort is not managing the area outside the gates and avalanches can happen at any time in steep slopes, cornice slopes and knolls during winter. Beginners should not go or be taken to places like the Backbowl. The mountain condition is ever changing; hazard level and snow conditions change everyday. Although Niseko may be a gentle mountain, negligence could lead critical consequences. Have a nice day. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 280cm Base - 125cm Niseko Village: Top - 195cm Base - 135cm Annupuri: Top - 155cm Base - 140cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Saturday 4th January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 453cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 35 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (14th, 15th and 24th December) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 55cm reported on 4 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 438cm Posted on Friday 3rd January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Another 15cm of new snowfall to log into the records this morning at base here in Hirafu and it is still snowing. Yesterday it was mostly about the wind again. Niseko Village stopped the Gondola just after noon, the Hanazono Number 2 lift joined the Number 3, and the Ace 3 and Swinging Monkey lifts at Hirafu also ground to a halt early afternoon. If there's one thing I could change about Niseko, it would be the wind. Anyway! The very good news, apart from the continued snowfall, is that this morning it is much less windy it seems that all of the resort areas should be open as normal early on. There'll be some excellent conditions to score this morning. Snowfall is forecast to continue continuing into the weekend. Don't count on seeing the sun! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -5C, 15cm of new snow. Moiwa 800m: -7C, 20cm of new snow, NW10m/s, large development of snowdrifts and cornices. Annupuri 1000m: -8C, 15cm of fresh on piste, large development of snowdrifts and cornices. Hirafu 1000m: -7C, 10cm of fresh on piste, large development of snowdrifts and cornices. Annupuri peak 1308m: W12m/s, -12.2C, the wind is calming down. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW12m/s, Kamui cape W10m/s, 2.5m waves, 1012hPa. Westerly 20m/s wind has been persisting all night on the sea of Japan. The wind calmed down early morning and the snowdrifts and cornices are just starting to stabilize. The avalanche risk remains high in 1000m altitude out of bounds national & regional forest areas. Cornice slopes and steeps of the Backbowl, Osawa (Annupuri bowl) and Higashi-One are still very unstable. These slopes should be avoided today even if the gates open. The whole snowdrift slab above Jan 1st layer could let go and induce a large-scale surface slab avalanche. Gates opening is still being discussed; please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. Do not duck ropes to step out of bounds. One track left under the rope would lead many others to do the same and increase the probability of accidents. We strongly recommend carrying safety gears when stepping out of bounds. Be ready and vigilant. The snow in the trees is good. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 275cm Base - 110cm Niseko Village: Top - 190cm Base - 130cm Annupuri: Top - 150cm Base - 130cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Friday 3rd January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 438cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 34 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (14th, 15th and 24th December) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 40cm 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 565cm Posted on Friday 10th January 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here More snow once again this morning from Hirafu and this time it's 25cm. It's a very cold morning here. -8 degrees at base now, and resorts reporting temperatures of down to -17 degrees (Annupuri) this morning. There's a moderate wind this morning which is causing just a few issues at the moment - the King Number 3 at Grand Hirafu is on hold and the Gondola at Niseko Village is operating at a reduced speed as are the quads over at Hanazono. Other than that the lifts seem to be open as normal for now. Oh yes... it's snowing, and will continue snow and continue to be cold. From tomorrow (11th January) until 2nd February, at Niseko Grand Hirafu the Ace Number 2 Center Four quad lift will be opening at an earlier time for their 'Early Morning' service. Time is 8am until 8:20am and it costs an additional 500 yen - unfortunately you can't use season tickets or normal lift tickets for this service. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -8C, 15cm of crushed-crystal snow in the past 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: WNW15m/s, -14C, 20cm of crushed-crystal with snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: NW15m/s, -16C, 20cm of fresh with snowdrift development, 200cm snowpack. Annupuri peak 1308m: WNW10m/s, -18℃. Forecasted wind at noon: NW20m/s. Hirafu 1000m: -14C, 30cm of fresh with snowdrifts development. Coastal data: Benkei capeNNW15m/s, Kamui capeW12m/s, 2.2m waves, 1013hPa. Wintry pressure pattern is generating stormy conditions. Snowdrifts are developing fast, up 150cm in leeward knolls above 800m. According to snowfall transition, observations and data evaluation, the avalanche risk is high from the morning. Peak gates will be closed. Other gates opening will depend on ski patrol’s judgment. Better not stimulate cornices and knolls today, a 30-70cm thick surface slab avalanche is to be highly considered in typical avalanche terrains, such as 800m Osawa cornice slopes and Mikaeri bowl. Storms generate thick and heavy slabs of dense snow due to wind-drift accumulation. Rapidly forming snowdrift slabs are extremely unstable in the wind, could collapse with the slightest stimulation and trigger a large surface slab slide. Better not step out of bounds today. The snow in the trees is heavy and deep, but good fun. Beware of frostbite. --- Official snow depth numbers and lift news at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 330cm Base - 165cm Niseko Village: Top - 240cm Base - 170cm Annupuri: Top - 205cm Base - 180cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Friday 10th January 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 565cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 41 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 35cm (14th, 15th and 24th December) November 2013 snowfall 123cm reported on 9 days December 2013 snowfall 275cm reported on 22 days January 2014 snowfall 167cm 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