Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 15cm Snowfall at base this season 186cm Posted on Friday 12th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It feels very cold out there this morning and some very low temperatures being reported by the resorts. Need to go out prepared. For cold as well as fun. Light snow continues to fall as I write this and there's another 15-20cm of fresh snow to report here at base since yesterday. There's more on the way as well with this low pressure system set to deliver large amount of snow to many areas of Japan this weekend. Hopefully we'll be part of the fun there. There may be a slight easing after the weekend but it's generally snowmen all lined up on the weather forecasts. Niseko isn't the place to come for a high chance of clear skies and sun, that's for sure. Some more runs open at Niseko Grand Hirafu now and there's another lift moving at Niseko Annupuri... we're getting there! It surely won't be long now before the resorts are all fully open. So yes, nighta will be starting up for the season from tomorrow night when part of the mountain will be open and floodlit until 8pm. Someone has asked about the snow depth numbers shown on the page here below. Namely the one that today shows Niseko Grand Hirafu with 160cm on upper slopes and the adjoining Niseko Village with just 80cm. Personally I would say just don't read too much into it, though Hirafu always seem to bring in the larger numbers. They are simply the official snow depth numbers that the resorts post each day. The most important number to look at I reckon is how much snow is falling each day - we all like that fresh layer don't we. In my experience, different people will give you different numbers -- even if they are actually looking at exactly the same spot. I try to give you an 'accurate' (honest) number each day as I observe around me each morning. --- Exciting news as well this morning of 10 free Niseko All Mountain lift tickets that will be part of the SnowJapan Prize Draw this season on this here website, coming to you courtesy of the kind people at Hanazono Niseko Japan. Details will be online later in the day on SnowJapan, and I'll post a link as well tomorrow in the report so you can enter if you so wish. --- Here's what is planned to be open this morning: Niseko Grand Hirafu Courses: Family Course, Sen-no-ki, Alpen, Detour for Beginners, Green, Center, Shirakaba, Kokutai, Kogen, Ni-Kabe, Jumbo, Parallel, Rinkan (lowe), Setsuzoku, Jumbo, Parallel Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Niseko Hanazono Courses: Stairway to Heaven, Silver Dream, Legend of Shinya, Yotei Sunset, Crystal Garden Lifts: All 3 quad lifts operating Niseko Village Courses: Final Fling, Shaky Knees, Next Stage, Banzai, Cruiser, Don't Blink, beginners course from Gondola, Junkyard, Namara (part ungroomed), Jagaimo (ungroomed), Misoshiru (ungroomed) Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Courses: Paradise, Family, Challenge, Marchen, Dynamic, Junior, Utopia, Shirakaba, Silver (9 out of 13 courses open) Lifts: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 2 Pair, Jumbo Number 3 Pair --- Nighta is scheduled to open from Saturday 13th December. Just 2 more nights to go! --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 160cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Annupuri: Top - 130cm Base - 90cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Friday 12th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 186cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 16 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (7th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 156cm 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 14cm Snowfall at base this season 149cm Posted on Tuesday 9th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Another 10-15cm of fresh snow here at base in Hirafu since my last report as the snow steadily comes down. Just spoken with a patrol guy from Hirafu who said there is at least 20cm of fresh up on the upper slopes there. Still, while certainly there's plenty to play in for now, all of resort areas are still mentioning that the snow isn't that deep just yet with sasa and other things popping up through in places and in some cases narrow courses. The other thing to be careful of is the fact that the snow that we have pretty much came without snow base. Care needed whilst having fun. Always the case of course but early season considerations need to be taken into account. There's still not that many people around at the moment, but things will change quite dramatically over the next few weeks. Once we get into Christmas week that's when Niseko will really come to life in a big way. It will be interesting to see how things might have changed once again this season. One thing's for sure - it will be lively! Let's hope the nature does it's bit with the snow in terms of quality and quantity. Niseko Grand Hirafu and Hanazono are connected and skiable; however the top lifts aren't moving yet and so the connection between Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village and Niseko Village and Annupuri are not open yet... shuttle bus required. --- Here's what's open this morning: Niseko Grand Hirafu Courses: Family Course, Alpen, Detour for Beginners, Green, Center, Kokutai, Kogen, Ni-Kabe, Jumbo, Parallel, Rinkan (lowe), Setsuzoku. Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Niseko Hanazono Courses: Stairway to Heaven, Silver Dream, Legend of Shinya, Yotei Sunset, Crystal Garden Lifts: All 3 quad lifts operating Niseko Village Courses: Final Fling, Shaky Knees, Next Stage, Banzai, Cruiser, Don't Blink, beginners course from Gondola, Junkyard, Namara (part ungroomed), Jagaimo (ungroomed), Misoshiru (ungroomed) Lifts: Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Courses: Paradise Course, Junior Course Lifts: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Nighta is scheduled to open from Saturday 13th December. --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 145cm Base - 85cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Annupuri: Top - 120cm Base - 80cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Tuesday 9th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 149cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 13 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (7th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 119cm 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 2cm Snowfall at base this season 171cm Posted on Thursday 11th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Not much snow to report early this morning, just a few cm on the ground, but it's snowing quite heavily right now as I write this report just before 9am. It's actually relatively mild this morning (+2) but as the day moves on expect it to get colder and for that to continue tomorrow and Saturday. If the forecast is right, it's going to be a very cold and more importantly very snowy weekend. I'm looking forward to reporting some very nice numbers in the coming days. The Niseko Annupuri resort has more open from today - joining the already open Jumbo Number 1 Quad lift is the Annupuri Gondola and the Jumbo Number 3 Pair lift, opening up more of that resort area of course. More details below. (Bad news with that is it's normal lift prices from today!) Unfortunately at the time of writing strong winds are stopping the King Number 3 lift at Niseko Grand Hirafu and the Hanazono Number 3 lift at Niseko Hanazono from operating. We can only hope that this season there's not too much of the "strong winds stopping lifts" kind of news. I've said it before but if there's one thing about Niseko that I don't like...! Night operations should be starting from Saturday night. Looking forward to that. --- Here's what is planned to be open this morning: Niseko Grand Hirafu Courses: Family Course, Alpen, Detour for Beginners, Green, Center, Kokutai, Kogen, Ni-Kabe, Jumbo, Parallel, Rinkan (lowe), Setsuzoku. Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Niseko Hanazono Courses: Stairway to Heaven, Silver Dream, Legend of Shinya, Yotei Sunset, Crystal Garden Lifts: All 3 quad lifts operating Niseko Village Courses: Final Fling, Shaky Knees, Next Stage, Banzai, Cruiser, Don't Blink, beginners course from Gondola, Junkyard, Namara (part ungroomed), Jagaimo (ungroomed), Misoshiru (ungroomed) Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Courses: Paradise, Family, Challenge, Marchen, Dynamic, Junior, Utopia, Shirakaba, Silver Lifts: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 3 Pair --- Nighta is scheduled to open from Saturday 13th December. Just 2 more nights to go! --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 150cm Base - 80cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Annupuri: Top - 130cm Base - 90cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Thursday 11th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 171cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 15 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (7th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 141cm 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

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 20cm Snowfall at base this season 169cm Posted on Wednesday 10th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I have another 20cm or so of fresh snowfall to report this morning as it keeps on building up nicely. Nice. The Niseko Grand Hirafu resort area is now reporting 160cm of snow depth on upper areas and 100cm at base. Still no major changes to what is open out there, but from this morning the connection passageway between the top of the Niseko Gondola at Niseko Village and Niseko Grand Hirafu areas will be open for the first time this season. It's a 150m or so walk, good exercise! Connection between the Niseko Annupuri and Niseko Village resort areas is not yet open. Tomorrow may not be quite as cold with temperatures in the village venturing up into positive numbers, but from Friday we have that cold front moving in that might well bring with it the very large amounts of snow that will open up our mountain in style. Let's hope that strong winds don't mess with our fun. Looks like it might be a very snowy weekend in many regions of Japan. Here's to us all getting our share! --- Here's what's open this morning: Niseko Grand Hirafu Courses: Family Course, Alpen, Detour for Beginners, Green, Center, Kokutai, Kogen, Ni-Kabe, Jumbo, Parallel, Rinkan (lowe), Setsuzoku. Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Niseko Hanazono Courses: Stairway to Heaven, Silver Dream, Legend of Shinya, Yotei Sunset, Crystal Garden Lifts: All 3 quad lifts operating Niseko Village Courses: Final Fling, Shaky Knees, Next Stage, Banzai, Cruiser, Don't Blink, beginners course from Gondola, Junkyard, Namara (part ungroomed), Jagaimo (ungroomed), Misoshiru (ungroomed) Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Courses: Paradise Course, Junior Course Lifts: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Nighta is scheduled to open from Saturday 13th December. Just 3 more nights to go! --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 160cm Base - 100cm Niseko Village: Top - 80cm Base - 50cm Annupuri: Top - 120cm Base - 90cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 10th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 169cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 14 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 40cm (7th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 139cm 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 45cm Snowfall at base this season 286cm Posted on Monday 15th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here What's this... blue skies?! The sun is out this morning. But what's this... close to half a metre of fresh snowfall?! Oh yes. With reports of 60cm or so on the mountain it's one of those mornings where you just HAVE to get the skis or board on and get out. Deep fresh powder along with a rare and perhaps unexpected break in the clouds. Almost perfect. It probably won't last long! The Morino Chair lift is now operating at Niseko Village and the really good sign is that the individual ski resorts are now not feeling the need to have to report on what courses are open. Which means that most of the mountain is now open. As mentioned in the Avalanche Report below, we now just wait for the gates to get opened and the top lifts. Still, conditions are so good elsewhere that there's surely more than enough to keep everyone happy. (Well maybe almost everyone!) The Gondola at Niseko Village, King Number 3 lift at Grand Hirafu and the top Hanazono lift are moving this morning, but have been running at reduced speeds early on due to a moderate wind. Snowfall will be back maybe even soon today but definitely tomorrow, and as with many regions of Japan once again we expect heavy snowfall and strong winds. After that slow start, December 2014 is shaping up nicely. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -8C, 40cm of crystal snow without snowdrift development. Coastal data: NNE9m/s at Benkei cape. Moiwa 650m: 60cm of new snow without snowdrift development. Annupuri 1000m: 120cm snowpack and 250cm snowpack in leeward slopes around 800m. Snow clouds are expanding throughout the Sea of Japan coastline and dropping heavy loads of snow in coastal mountain areas. 60cm of new snow has dumped in some areas but snowdrifts development is minimal. Snow and wind is forecasted to pick up again and will make cornices and slabs grow. Avalanches from Dec 10th layer are to be expected in steep exposed slopes above 800m. Newly formed slabs are getting thicker and although they are relatively stable, large-scale avalanches are still likely to happen with a slight stimulation around knoll terrains. The snowpack is steadily growing and gates below 1000m are being ready to open soon. Please be patient for a little longer. Do not duck ropes. Deep and light powder snow can be found along the courses today. Be careful not to get stuck. The storm will pick up soon. Remain in control and be careful not to fall. You can easily get suffocated in deep snow. --- Here's what is planned to be open today (subject to change): Niseko Grand Hirafu Courses: Super Course and Furiko Courses now open Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Night skiing lifts: Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift Niseko Hanazono Courses: Stairway to Heaven, Silver Dream, Legend of Shinya, Yotei Sunset, Crystal Garden Lifts: All 3 quad lifts operating Night skiing lifts: No night skiing at Hanazono Niseko Village Lifts operating: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair, Morino Chair Night skiing lifts: Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts operating: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 2 Pair, Jumbo Number 3 Pair Night skiing lift: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 190cm Base - 120cm Niseko Village: Top - 140cm Base - 100cm Annupuri: Top - 130cm Base - 110cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Monday 15th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 286cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 19 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 256cm reported on 14 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 30cm Snowfall at base this season 341cm Posted on Friday 19th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here A bit of relative calm after the storm is the feeling this morning. Was a bit wild yesterday with the wind messing around with lift movements. Less wind this morning, less snow falling, and not quite as cold either. 'Just' -3 here at base according to my trusty thermometer, and indeed the resorts report similar temperature at their base levels, Niseko Village recording -7C on their upper slopes. Snow is forecast to ease off during the day today - might the sun make a bit of an appearance? - and a milder conditions due tomorrow. Looks like it might even rain a bit before turning into snow later in the day tomorrow. Let's hope not. OK anyway so 30cm or so of fresh snowfall to report since yesterday. It's difficult to read this morning with all of the wind that we had yesterday blowing it around. Just think lots of fresh snow to play in and you've pretty much got the picture. Over the last week or two it has been getting gradually busier in Niseko, from now on there'll be more and more people arriving daily so I would expect things to be noticeably busier. With everyone hopefully having the time of their lives, it should be a fun atmosphere. Make it so, everyone! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -3C, 15cm of crystal snow in 12hours. Moiwa 600m: -4C, calm wind and 25cm of broken crystal snow with development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW 12m/s, Kamui cape WNW7m/s, 1023hPa, 1.9m waves. Annupuri 1150m: -6℃, mild NW wind, good groomers conditions and snowdrift development. The current snowpack is 130cm at Annupuri 1000m. The atmospheric pressure gradient is small over the Sea of Japan, and the wind is mild around Niseko area. Yesterday’s northerly wind made snowdrifts develop slowly above 800m altitude. The Backbowl’s sidewalls are loaded with heavy snowdrifts. The avalanche hazard is high around 1100m Kozan no sawa (Backbowl) slopes, 900m Osawa cornice slopes. The gates are yet to open and peak hike is still restricted. The snow in the trees is a bit humid and in good condition. Beware of over-speeding and hitting trees. Do not duck ropes; one track left under a rope will lead many others to follow and unnecessarily increase the chances of accidents to happen. Crossing ropes is severely prohibited by the Niseko Rules. We’d like to call all accommodation facilities to inform their guests about the Niseko Rules. Have a nice day. --- Lifts planned to be operating, subject to change due to weather conditions. Any news at time of writing is noted in the main report above: Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Night skiing lifts: Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift Niseko Hanazono Lifts: Hanazono Number 1, Hanazono Number 2, Hanazono Number 3 Night skiing lifts: No night skiing at Hanazono Niseko Village Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair, Morino Chair. Night skiing lifts: Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 2 Pair, Jumbo Number 3 Pair Night skiing lift: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 210cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village: Top - 150cm Base - 110cm Annupuri: Top - 135cm Base - 110cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Friday 19th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 341cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 21 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 311cm 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 1cm Snowfall at base this season 342cm Posted on Saturday 20th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Just a thin cover of new snow since my last report and it's noticeably warmer this morning. It is generally cloudy right now, but we are expecting some rain this afternoon. We are hoping of course that will end up short-lived and it will soon turn into snowfall. Tomorrow we expect snow to be falling and for colder conditions. --- A few resort news thingies this morning. Over at Hanazono, Strawberry Fields opens today as well as the Snowmobiling Course. Niseko Grand Hirafu have noted that the top Large and Dynamic Courses accessed via the Ace Pair Number 4 lift and King Number 4 Lift cannot open yet due to 'insufficient snow cover'. They are though extending the operation of the Hanazono Quad Number 3 and Swinging Monkey lifts to 3:30pm, with the two lower Hanazono Quads now doing their thing until 3:50pm. Just a reminder of a few other things - the top connection between Niseko Annupuri and Niseko Village resorts is not yet available with thise top lifts not moving yet (shuttle bus needed) and those gates aren't open yet. For all the talk of large volumes of snowfall, it seems that we need more. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -3C, light snowfall and calm morning. Moiwa 600m: -5C, light snowfall, calm and good visibility. Annupuri 1150m: -5C, light snowfall and development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1000m: 130cm snowpack. Coastal data: Benkei cape SSW3m/s, Kamui cape S13m/s, 1017hPa, 1.3m waves. A Low Pressure system is approaching and making warm air flow in from the south. The weather is predicted to deteriorate before noon. The general avalanche risk is low according to observations, however wet snow slab avalanches hazard in 40°slopes will rise in the afternoon. Be cautious. The groomers conditions and the snow in the trees is in good shape. Bushes are still sticking out above the surface and the streams at the bottom aren’t fully buried yet. Backcountry access from the resort is still restricted and will take some more time to have the gates ready. Do not duck ropes to step out of bounds. We strongly demand all Niseko accommodation to inform their guests about the Niseko Rules. Have a nice weekend. --- Lifts planned to be operating, subject to change due to weather conditions. Any news at time of writing is noted in the main report above: Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Night skiing lifts: Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift Niseko Hanazono Lifts: Hanazono Number 1, Hanazono Number 2, Hanazono Number 3 Night skiing lifts: No night skiing at Hanazono Niseko Village Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair, Morino Chair. Night skiing lifts: Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 2 Pair, Jumbo Number 3 Pair Night skiing lift: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 200cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village: Top - 150cm Base - 110cm Annupuri: Top - 135cm Base - 110cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Saturday 20th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 342cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 22 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 312cm reported on 17 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 25cm Snowfall at base this season 311cm Posted on Thursday 18th December 2014 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here This particular region of Hokkaido missed the worst of the storm yesterday. Places in eastern regions got much wilder conditions by the looks of things, and more snow too. Here I have 25cm or so of snow to report. Not bad of course, but much less than some places got. The official snow depth at Niseko Grand Hirafu resort is now up to 2m though. It's snowing this morning still and rather windy and here's how the wind conditions are affecting lifts as of before 9am: All of Annupuri on standby, though will open if weather conditions improve. The Niseko Gondola at Niseko Village is not moving, but the three lower lifts are open. The Hirafu Gondola, Ace Number 2 Center Four, Ace Number 3, King Number 3 Triple, Swinging Monkey lifts at Niseko Grand Hirafu are not moving. All of the Hanazono lifts are not moving. So choice for the morning boils down to basically the lower areas of Hirafu or Village. Not crazy cold actually, with the temperature just under 0 right now. Tomorrow should see calmer conditions and the snowfall easing off. Back to snow at the weekend though. It's never far off! --- Niseko Avalanche Report Moiwa base: -4C, light wind and 30cm of small broken crystal snow in 12 hours. Moiwa 600m: -4C, ENE10m/s, 40cm of new snow and light development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: NW15m/s, -7C and developing snowdrifts. Benkei cape: NNE15m/s. Kamui cape: ENE9m/s, 997hPa and 2.2m waves. The wind and snowfall is moderate under 800m as the low-pressure system moves east and the atmospheric pressure gradient is relatively small. The snow in the trees is pretty good. The storm is forecasted to pick up, strong northerly wind will make the cornices and snowdrifts develop drastically. The avalanche hazard level will rise considerably as the storm picks up during the day. The visibility is very bad. Riding slopes near/under cornices are to be avoided in all areas in and around Niseko. Avalanches are also likely to happen under chairlift lines and steep faces within the resorts. This information is released for the safety of all Niseko resorts’ guests. Do not duck boundary ropes. --- Lifts planned to be operating (* subject to change due to weather conditions). Any news at time of writing is noted in the main report above: Niseko Grand Hirafu Lifts: Ace Family Lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Ace Number 3 lift, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift, Hirafu Gondola, King Number 3 Triple lift, Swinging Monkey. Night skiing lifts: Ace Family Pair lift, Ace Number 2 Center Four lift, Hirafu Gondola, Holiday Number 1 Pair lift Niseko Hanazono Lifts: Hanazono Number 1, Hanazono Number 2, Hanazono Number 3 Night skiing lifts: No night skiing at Hanazono Niseko Village Lifts: Niseko Gondola, Community Chair, Banzai Chair, Morino Chair. Night skiing lifts: Community Chair and Banzai Chair Niseko Annupuri Lifts: Annupuri Gondola, Jumbo Number 1 Quad, Jumbo Number 2 Pair, Jumbo Number 3 Pair Night skiing lift: Jumbo Number 1 Quad --- Official snow depth numbers at the time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 200cm Base - 90cm Niseko Village: Top - 140cm Base - 105cm Annupuri: Top - 130cm Base - 110cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Thursday 18th December 2014 Total snowfall at base so far 311cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 20 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 281cm reported on 15 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 70cm Posted on Thursday 21st November 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Nature decided to give us a present overnight and this morning we are treated to 5-10cm of fresh snow down here at base. Not mad cold and still just above the zero mark earlier on and about +3 degrees right now, but it is of course fantastic to see that new cover of white this morning. Those bare spots I mentioned yesterday are now nicely filled in again, but of course we could always do with more. It's still looking quite weak though in terms of snowfall expected and we're probably not going to get a whole lot more through into next week - with more rain than snow lined up. I'd be happy if the forecast was wrong and/or changed in that respect. The planned resort opening dates remain as follows, with the first lifts planning to be operating the day after tomorrow. Niseko Grand Hirafu - 23rd November Hanazono - 23rd November Niseko Annupuri - 23rd November Niseko Village - 1st December Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 21st November 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 70cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 5 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 70cm reported on 5 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 71cm Posted on Wednesday 27th November 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning from Hirafu. We've had more than our share of mild temperatures, rain and strong winds of late. I'm glad to be able to report a dusting of snow overnight - just a cm or so at village level - and while it's still not the cold we want, it feels colder than it has been and currently around 1C. Obviously the resorts are not open yet as we wait for a decent snowfall to hit and get things moving. Things are looking good for later on today into tomorrow. Temperatures will dip and moderate to heavy snowfall a definite possibility on the mountains. So hopefully I'll have some good news to report tomorrow morning. Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Wednesday 27th November 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 71cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 6 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 71cm reported on 6 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 12cm Snowfall at base this season 83cm Posted on Thursday 28th November 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Snow to report this morning and just over 10cm of it outside my place here in Hirafu, and up to 15cm in places. The snow started falling late last night. It was a colder night and as of 9am it is around -1C and -5C up top at Hirafu. Snow continued to fall and we should be looking at snow to continue through into tomorrow. No official word from the resorts yet but if the snow falls as expected, hopefully we will be looking at openings on Saturday. Planned resort opening dates: Niseko Grand Hirafu - as soon as possible Niseko Annupuri - open as soon as possible Niseko Village - 1st December Hanazono - 7th December Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Thursday 28th November 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 83cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 7 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 83cm 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 15cm Snowfall at base this season 123cm Posted on Saturday 30th November 2013 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning and here we are on the official opening day of the season in Niseko with Niseko Grand Hirafu opening at 8:30am this morning. Around 15cm of fresh snowfall since my last report here in the village. As I mentioned yesterday afternoon, Niseko Grand Hirafu has the Ace Number 3 pair lift servicing the Center Course, and the Ace Number 2 Center Four lift taking people up (and down) from that upper area. Hirafu are reporting 60-100cm on it's slopes this morning and a temperature of -6 degrees. Here in the Hirafu village area it's around -1C and currently just cloudy with light snow falling at times - was hoping for more sustained snowfall (aren't we always?!). Hopefully we will get more later on, but the forecast into next week not looking quite as encouraging as it was a few days back. Anyway, Niseko Village plans to open tomorrow with the Community Chair and Banzai Chair lifts operating and 4 courses open. No further word yet from Annupuri. Official snow depth numbers: Grand Hirafu: Top - 100cm Bottom - 60cm Niseko Village: Top - 60cm Bottom - 30cm Annupuri: Top - 50cm Bottom - 48cm Niseko Now 2013-2014 season Data as of Saturday 30th November 2013 Total snowfall at base so far 123cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 9 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 30cm (12th November) November 2013 snowfall 123cm 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