Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 5cm Snowfall at base this season 790cm Posted on Sunday 25th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning from Niseko. It's a busy Sunday morning out there already, but weather-wise a calm start to the day. Up above it's a mix of cloud and blue sky, and I can see the sun too just now but it's playing a bit of hide and seek behind the clouds. Just a bit of new snowfall to add this morning, around 5cm with up to 15cm on mountain being reported. Don't know about you, but I'm all for a bumper 40-50cm of beautiful dry light new snowfall kind of day. Next one of those please... this week would be great! Onegai shimasu. All resorts and lifts are open as planned and it looks like all the gates should be open this morning as well. Let's Sunday! On a more serious note, please be sure to check out the Avalanche report this morning (below)... found a few things mentioned in there interesting. --- One change to the report that I want to make a note of. Until now, for the 'official snow depth' number on the report, we have been making a note of the 'lower' number from Hirafu (I mean the 'Current snow' number that you can see towards the top right of this page). It's not actually really that important as within every single report that I put up here I do make a clear note of all of the upper/lower snow depth numbers for each resort area, but we do think that it is probably better to change it to the upper number. The upper number is also the number that is shown on the resort pages of our site, so it will now tie in with that. So from today that is what we'll be using - the official 'upper' snow depth number at Niseko Grand Hirafu. A few people mentioned this to us in comments sent in during the Prize Draw (thank you), so I hope this will meet with general approval. Sorry for the mid-season change. * Sadly the jump from 145cm to 360cm does not mean that we have suddenly got 215cm of fresh snowfall overnight. I might even dust off the word 'epic' (with a capital 'E') if that happened! --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -5C, light dusts in the last 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: mild wind and 10cm of new snow. Annupuri 1150m: mild wind, 15cm of snowfall. 1000m snowpack 250cm. Hirafu ridge: mild wind, light snowfall, -11C. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW6m/s, Kamui cape WNW3m/s, 1026hPa, 0.6m waves. A calm morning as a high-pressure system is dominating the area. The snowdrifts are stable and the avalanche risk is low. Beware of collapsing cornices. All gates will open from the morning. The snow is in pretty good shape. Intruders to Haru-no-Taki off-limits area never seem to decrease. Everyone should realize that the freedom to ride out of bounds in Niseko is protected in exchange of having those strictly off-limits areas closed at all time. The gate system would fail if people cannot respect the Rules and end up in closure of all gates and restriction of all out of bounds riding. Whoever violating the off-limits areas will be banned from using all resort facilities. Haru-no-Taki may eventually open in the future, but we strongly demand everybody to respect the Rules until then. This area is a ski resort and the Rules exist to protect the freedom of out of bounds riding and the minimum safety of all resort users. Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Sunday 25th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 790cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 50 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 241cm 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 10cm Snowfall at base this season 785cm Posted on Saturday 24th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here So, something of a limited day yesterday. As of mid afternoon the other two lifts at Hanazono closed up for the day, with Annupuri looking like it was closed all day. The Hirafu Gondola closed mid morning and a few lifts were moving at reduced speed. Proceedings were generally limited to lower and central areas. I didn't get out myself, opting instead for a visit to Otaru to the north of the Niseko region. Recommended. Anyway, on to today and the start of another weekend. They come round quick don't they. There's a lot of people around early on this morning, as you might expect. Wind of course affected a lot of things yesterday, including the snow so it's another day when putting one number on it is difficult. Lots of drifts around this morning but I'm going to log 10-15cm as the new snowfall for the day in my report but expect double that in higher areas. Conditions are somewhat calmer this morning. Snow is falling as I am writing this and it's expected to ease off sometime later on today, maybe tonight and tomorrow is forecast to bring us some sun action. We're expecting a relatively mild few days with temperatures even threatening to bust through into low positive numbers. Beyond tomorrow, snow clouds due to move over the region again from Tuesday onwards. In the meantime have a fun and safe weekend. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Niseko Gondola and top Wonderland chair on hold at the start of the day due to weather conditions. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -3C, 10cm of crystal snow in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: WNW5m/s, 20cm snowfall, 50cm snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: N10m/s, -8C, development of dense snowdrifts. Hirafu 1150m: N15m/s, -12C, development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW14m/s, Kamui cape ENE3m/s, 1019hPa, 1.9m waves. The slabs under 800m altitude are stabilizing and a 10cm layer of new, less wind-affected snow is blanketing on top. The soft-slab formed until the night are likely to fail at 45cm depth and would slide easily with riding stimulation in steep slopes. The stabilization of the slabs above 1200m is delayed and the avalanche risk in Osawa cornice slopes, Backbowl and Higashi-One cornice slopes remains high. The peak gates’ opening is still undecided. Please respect the ski patrol’s decision. Better not stimulate knolls and snowdrifts. Avalanche hazard is also very high in gullies above 1200m in Mt. Yotei. Better stick on ridges and treeruns. There is no 100% safety in the mountains. Always remain prudent. The snow in the trees is in excellent shape. --- Official snow depth numbers and any notes at time of writing: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 350cm Base - 145cm Niseko Village: Top - 270cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 250cm Base - 180cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Saturday 24th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 785cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 49 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 236cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 793cm Posted on Wednesday 28th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Hello and good morning... it's a better morning than yesterday, which wasn't very nice at all. It is most certainly much colder, with a return to winter like temperatures overnight and early on. We have some new snowfall as well, though not as much as we would like. Resorts reporting up to 15cm of fresh snow, just a few cm or so down here at base. But, snow is forecast for the day today so fingers crossed for a decent amount. All of the four resort areas look to open up as planned this morning, the only thing I notice early on is Annupuri Gondola operating at reduced speed. Stronger winds on the forecast for later in the day, so that situation could well change. Tomorrow cloudy skies are forecast, before a return to snow from later Friday. Once that gets going it should be snowing through into early next week at least so looking very positive still for a proper decent refresh over the weekend. --- Let's update ourselves on some numbers for a bit of excite fun. In January last season I observed 461cm of snowfall; this month so far my observations in the same place are on 244cm. Hmmm. The Japan Meteorological Agency snowfall January readings for Kutchan Town: January 2011: 420cm January 2012: 290cm January 2013: 268cm January 2014: 317cm January 2015: 214cm (up until now) So come on, let's fill out those numbers out for January! --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Annupuri Gondola running at reduced speed. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -9C, 5cm of new snow in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: W10m/s, -12C, 10cm of new snow with some 40cm snowdrifts. Annupuri snowpack 255cm. Hirafu 1000m: mild wind, -12C, light snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW19m/s, Kamui cape WSW11m/s, 1011hPa, 2.6m waves. The winter-pressure pattern dropped some new snowfall starting at 1am. Some snowdrifts started to develop. Yesterday’s low-pressure snowfall is re-crystalizing due to cold temperatures. 40cm thick slides are to be expected in some areas around 700m. New snowfall is still insufficient and old tracks catches the skis/board. Visibility is also pretty bad up high. Beware not to loose control and hit trees. Gates 2 & 3 will be closed. Others are scheduled to open, however situation may change, please respect the ski patrol’s instructions. Be aware that the area outside the gate is not within the resort before you step out of the gates. Niseko respects people’s freedom to ski out of bounds areas, however is also deeply concerned about everyone’s safety. Be safe and have nice day. The conditions will turn better tomorrow. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 360cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 270cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 265cm Base - 180cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 28th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 793cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 51 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 244cm reported on 21 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 10cm Snowfall at base this season 803cm Posted on Thursday 29th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning friends, and it's snowing outside this cold morning. There's around 10cm outside my place here, with 15cm of fresh being reported from upper resort areas. Nice and cold, the snow should be of the fine kind. As the Avalanche report says this morning, the snowfall has 'moderately reset' the mountain, which is of course great - but I think it's fair to say that most of us want more. Snowfall today will probably ease this morning (though as I type this report it's coming down quite nicely actually), leaving us with mostly cloudy conditions for later today and tomorrow with perhaps some sunshine at times. To be followed by decent snowfall going into Saturday which is still forecast to continue into early next week. It's looking promising. All the resorts plan to be open as normal this morning and peak gates are scheduled to be open. Have a good Friday. --- Resort specific news at time of writing - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -9C, 15cm of crystal snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NW8m/s, 20cm snowfall, small development of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1150m: N8m/s, -13C, 20cm snowfall. Hirafu 1000m: N5m/s, -13C, 10cm snowfall. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW14m/s, Kamui cape WSW8m/s, 1022hPa, 1.7m waves. The isobars are spaced out and the weather is calm. Light snowfall has moderately reset the mountain. Good & fast snow can be found. Peak gates are scheduled to open, listen to the ski patrol’s advice before stepping out of the gates. January 27th low-pressure snowfall layer has become a notable weak layer in the snowpack. Avalanches of up to 40cm thickness are to be expected in leeward snowdrift loaded slopes around 1000m. The general risk is low, however unexpected incidents can happen in the mountain. Be prudent and be safe. 99% of the people seem to respect the Niseko Rules, but it is very disappointing to see a handful of disrespectful people that seems to deliberately disregard the Rules and enter Haru no Taki and/or Yu no Sawa off-limits areas. Beware of cracks, falls and hitting trees. Have a nice day. Using a leash is recommended to people using delicate lightweight bindings. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 370cm Base - 140cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 265cm Base - 180cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Thursday 29th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 803cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 52 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 254cm reported on 22 days Previous report Next report All snowfall data presented on this page is the snowfall measured and observed at base/town level by our reporter based in Kutchan/Niseko. The 'new snowfall' number represents the amount of snow measured since the previous report. All opinions are those of the individual reporters. Information regarding ski area operations is manually checked every morning and is believed to be correct at the time of the report. SnowJapan is an entirely independent operation. Our daily reports are not posted on behalf of ski areas or any other business or organisation. Since first going online in 1999, the integrity of this website has always been our top priority, and it is something we are not prepared to compromise. All content is carefully created and written by humans who share a passion for the subject and what SnowJapan stands for. About SnowJapan.com About the daily reporting on SnowJapan.com

Independent snow and weather reporting from the Niseko region of Hokkaido New snowfall at base 3cm Snowfall at base this season 806cm Posted on Friday 30th January 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here It's a cloudy morning here in Niseko, as the forecast told us to expect really. A small amount of snow during the day yesterday and there's a chance of light snow during the day today but it won't be anything major at all. Limited visibility up on the mountain is preventing top lifts from opening first thing this morning, hopefully that situation might change during the morning with gates looking like they are expected to be open today. That snowfall that we have all been eyeing up the last few days is still due to be with us from tomorrow. I so much want to get back to writing reports of large volumes of fresh snow. (Though I could do without strong winds!) Whatever, such conditions do seem likely over the weekend so be ready. --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Top King Number 4 and Ace Number 4 lifts on hold due to poor visibility. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Top Wonderland lift on hold due to poor weather conditions. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Top Jumbo Number 4 lift on hold due to poor visibility. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -5C, 5cm new crystal snow in the last 12hrs, calm. Moiwa 800m: -7C, wind SW 5m/s, trace of new snow. Annupuri 1150m: -7C, wind SW8m/s, trace of new snow, poor visibility at times. Hirafu Peak Ridge light winds, -10C, trace of new snow, minor snowdrift development. Cape Benkei: SW5m/s, Cape Kamui: S6m/s, wave 0..8m, pressure 1020hPa. The pressure gradient is low and the mountain conditions are calm. From observation 10cm of new light crystal snow above 600m, snow pack is stable and the general avalanche risk is low. Yesterdays tracks still remain but the snow is good. Peak gates are expected to be open. Please respect the patrols advice when using the gates. Always be aware and take care on open steep slopes and cornice slopes around 1000m. When you cause an avalanche people below will be in danger. There has been increase in lost people out of bounds. The gates are there for everyone to use, but if you blindly follow someone else's tracks you may not come back. Niseko respects peoples right to ride out of bounds and also tries to maintain a certain level of safety, however the mountain has many dangers still. Take care , have a safe day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 370cm Base - 140cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 270cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Friday 30th January 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 806cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 53 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 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 831cm Posted on Monday 2nd February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here The wind had a hold on the top areas of the mountain through the day yesterday. At Hirafu and Hanazono, the lift situation remained the same through the day (ie. top lifts closed), but over at Niseko Village their gondola did start moving around 1pm, and the Niseko Annupuri gondola also finally got moving before 2pm. I have just a bit of snowfall to report overnight and adding to that what we got during the day yesterday I'm calling 10cm for the purposes of the report. It looks like we are on for some mixed weather conditions today and tomorrow - cloud, light snow at times, clearings at times. I can see a bit of blue up there now actually. Wind is unfortunately affecting top lifts at Hirafu, Hanazono and Annupuri (but not at Village looking at the latest info) at the start of the day... hopefully it will be less of an issue during the day today. --- As we are now into February I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some statistics from January 2015 and the season so far. First of all, my observed snowfall data here in the Hirafu base area. December 2014 (519cm) easily beat out December 2013 (275cm) in terms of snowfall, but January this year (257cm) was behind the previous January (461cm)…by a fair bit actually (204cm). Season so far totals at the end of January: Last season: 859cm This season: 806cm Over to the Japan Meteorological Agency numbers. Remember, this data is taken in Kutchan town so lower down than the resort areas - more up here in Hirafu and more still on mountain. January 2011: 420cm January 2012: 290cm January 2013: 268cm January 2014: 317cm January 2015: 230cm The season so far at the end of January: 10/11 season: 661cm (63%) 11/12 season: 721cm (69%) 12/13 season: 672cm (64%) 13/14 season: 674cm (71%) 14/15 season: 658cm They actually look fairly consistent, don’t they. See those numbers in brackets - they show the percentage of the total snowfall for that season had fallen by the end of January. So basically last season in Kutchan, by the end of January 71% of the total snowfall for the season had fallen, with 39% left to look forward to. Doing the same calculation with my observations from here at base in Hirafu last season, the 859cm up until the end of January 2014 represented about 74% of the total observed 1163cm of snowfall for the season. So basically at this point of the season, we had another 3m or so of snowfall to look forward to here in the village area. It goes without saying of course that we’d like more this season. All very interesting... well, I think so, I hope you do too! --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: The top King Number 3, King Number 4 and Ace Number 4 lifts on hold due to wind situation. The early morning lift operation at Hirafu has now ended. Niseko Hanazono: Top Hanazono Number 3 lift on hold due to wind situation. Niseko Village: Looks set to be open as planned. 'Early Morning Gondola' on Saturday (7th) and Sunday (8th) for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am. Niseko Annupuri: Top Jumbo Number 4 lift on hold due to wind. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, 10cm of snowfall in 12 hours, calm. Moiwa 800m: N10m/s, -10C, 15cm snowfall and snowdrift development up to 100cm in some places. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 280cm, N12m/s, 20cm of new snow on the course with development of snowdrifts. Hirafu peak ridge: -13C, 20cm snow on the course with snowdrifts development. Peak anemometer: NNW17m/s, -13.2C. Coastal data: Benkei cape N10m/s, Kamui cape NNE9m/s, 1019hPa, 2.2m waves. Similar atmospheric pressure pattern remains with strong northerly wind above 800m. The snowfall is small, however a lot of snow got carried to the valleys by the wind. Looking at the snowfall transition and observations, 60-100cm of drifted snow has deposited in leeward slopes. 60cm thick surface slab avalanches are to be expected in 800m Mikaeri bowl area, Osawa cornice slopes. Peak gates opening is undecided, please follow the ski patrol’s decision. The wind is relatively calm this morning but is forecasted to pick up again during the day. Avalanche hazard will remain high in cornice slopes, knolls and open steep faces until the wind settles down. Many of the past avalanche accidents happened by stimulating developing snowdrift slabs during high wind weather. Better stay away from open steep slopes today. The snow in the trees is a bit heavy but in good shape. Always stay prudent when riding. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 360cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 280cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Monday 2nd February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 831cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 55 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 849cm Posted on Wednesday 4th February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Just a fairly thin layer of snow since yesterday - that early snowfall didn't really end up amounting to much in the end. Likely more higher up than down here of course. Light snowfall has been easing off this morning with clearer conditions now expected during the day today. So we might get some sunshine and clear skies today and tomorrow as well. Temperatures will hopefully remain in negative numbers. Looks like the wind isn't going to be a problem and there should be a calmer feel to proceedings over the next few days. That should be nice, but what about the snow? Well, look towards later in the day on Saturday for the start of what might potentially be a very decent snowfall coming out way. --- Anyone see the piece that NHK TV did last night after the 7pm news about the increase in popularity of backcountry in Japan? I didn’t know that it was going to be - would have mentioned in advance if I had, so sorry about that. With more people going out of bounds – and sadly in many cases without the knowledge and equipment needed to be safe - there has been an increase in unfortunate accidents, and even fatalities this season down in Nagano and Niigata. As well as giving some background to the situation and appeal of backcountry, they mentioned the Niseko Rules and gate system as a success story in avoiding fatalities since it started. They also showed Shinya-san up there at 5am in the morning checking on the snow and safety situation, making the decisions about gate openings, and him and his colleagues out there taking the time to communicate with folk venturing out of the gates. Otsukaresama deshita to all involved. --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Looks set to open as planned this morning. 'Early Morning Gondola' on Saturday (7th) and Sunday (8th) for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am. Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, light snowfall in the past 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NNW10m/s, 5cm snowfall with 40cm snowdrift development. Annupuri 1150m: N10m/s, -12C, large development of snowdrifts. Hirafu ridge: strong northerly wind, -13C, light development of snowdrifts. Coastal data: Benkei cape NE10m/s, Kamui cape E4m/s, 1022hPa, 1.3m waves. Intermittent northerly gusts continue above 800m. Cornices and snowdrifts are growing large in western areas above 800m. According to observation and snowfall transition, the snowpack is stabilizing, however avalanches are still likely to occur in heavy snowdrift loaded slopes such as 900m Osawa cornice slopes, Kozan no sawa (Backbowl). DO NOT traverse under cornices, it will trigger a slide. Hard-slabs slides triggered by collapsing crust layer are also to be expected in Higashi-One cornice slopes. A thin slide can easily carry a person all the way down to the bottom of the valley. Peak gates 2 & 3 are scheduled to open. Listen to the ski patrol’s instruction before stepping out of the gates. Avalanches are natural occurrences, they only become an accident when a human being is involved in it. Better not underestimate the consequences, always think safety first. Niseko respects the freedom to ride the out of bounds area, however is also deeply concerned about all users’ safety. The snow in the tree is mostly reset and in good condition. Have a nice day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 370cm Base - 125cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 280cm Base - 170cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Wednesday 4th February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 849cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 57 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 43cm 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 846cm Posted on Tuesday 3rd February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning from my base here in Hirafu, it's another cold and windy one but importantly there's another 15cm of fresh snow on the ground to report this morning... and I would imagine more being added to that quite quickly as well this morning if it carries on like it is now. The pesky winds are messing with us once again unfortunately with lift disruption at the beginning of the day including all three gondolas. Hopefully it will improve this morning and the forecast does seem to point to a decent chance of that happening along with a break in the snowfall and maybe even a bit of blue sky appearing. Calmer and clearer skies expected tomorrow as well. Next decent snow up after that at the end of the week into the weekend. --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: The Gondola, King Number 3, King Number 4, Ace Number 4 and Swingling Monkey lifts on hold due to wind situation. Niseko Hanazono: Top Hanazono Number 3 lift on hold due to wind situation. Niseko Village: Niseko Gondola and top Wonderland Chair lift on hold due to wind. 'Early Morning Gondola' on Saturday (7th) and Sunday (8th) for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am. Niseko Annupuri: Annupuri Gondola and Top Jumbo Number 4 lift on hold due to wind. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, 15cm crystal snowfall in 12 hours, Moiwa 800m: N12m/s, -10C, 20cm snowfall with 60cm snowdrifts, poor visibility. Annupuri 1150m: N15-20m/s, 20cm snowfall with large development of snowdrifts. Hirafu 1000m: NE15m/s, -11C, 15cm snowfall with snowdrifts development. Annupuri peak N18.5m/s, -13.5C. Coastal data: Benkei cape ENE12m/s, Kamui cape ESE4m/s, 1022hPa, 2.6m waves. The isobars are spacing out, however the northerly wind remains high above 1000m altitude and snow deposit is larger in the western areas. 60cm softslabs has developed in leeward 800-1000m slopes and are likely to collapse with light stimulation. Snow has been blown away in Higashi-One area and wind-ripples are forming, making it difficult to ride. The avalanche risk is high in 1000m cornice slopes and knolls. Slides would be triggered by failure of weak lines within the Feb 2nd layer. Caution is required even in slopes with thin deposit; surface slab avalanches can occur regardless the amount of snow on top. Peak gates (2 & 3) will be kept closed, others to be determined. Please follow the ski patrol’s instructions. One track left under the rope would lead many others to do the same and increase the chances of accidents to happen. Please respect the Niseko Rules. Beware of falling into cracks forming in various areas. Cracks are difficult to see from above. The snow in the trees is in excellent condition. Have you switched your beacon on? It is not mandatory to carry one, however is strongly recommended. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 370cm Base - 125cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 280cm Base - 170cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Tuesday 3rd February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 846cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 56 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 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 15cm Snowfall at base this season 821cm Posted on Sunday 1st February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Good morning from Niseko on this first day of February. February already?! (I'll be taking a look at the final numbers for January in my report tomorrow morning). It's snowing quite heavily out there this morning and there's a good 15cm (and counting) of snow on the top of my parked car outside at the moment. Cold, snowy and... unfortunately the strong winds are still with us and stopping some lifts from getting going again. Top lifts at all four resort areas as well as the gondolas at Niseko Annupuri and Niseko Village are affected at the start of the day. Similar kind of conditions forecast through the day today and tomorrow as well, with things easing off by Tuesday. It's great to get new fresh snowfall, and conditions should be fun this morning... justgo away winds! --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Top King Number 4, King Number 3 and Ace Number 4 lifts on hold due to weather conditions. 'Early Morning' lift available daily until 1st February (for 500 yen, Ace Quad Number 2 lift from 8am until 8:20am). Niseko Hanazono: Top Hanazono Number 3 lift on hold. Niseko Village: Niseko Gondola and top Wonderland lift on hold early on due to strong winds. 'Early Morning Gondola' available Saturdays and Sundays until February 8th (for 1300 yen, Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am). Niseko Annupuri: Annupuri Gondola and top Jumbo Number 4 lifts on hold due to strong winds. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -5C, 15cm of crushed crystal snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NE18m/s, -7C, 50cm of snowdrifts. Annupuri 1000m: N15m/s, -10C, 50cm of snowdrift, 275cm snowpack. Hirafu 1000m: strong NE wind, -8C, developing snowdrifts. Peak anemometer: NNW19.2m/s at 6am. Coastal data: Benkei cape E14m/s, Kamui cape ENE6m/s, 1-14hPa, 2.1m waves. Strong NE wind generated large development of unstable snowdrifts, easily sliding from Jan 31st layer. Hard-slabs and cornices in Osawa ad Mikaeri bowl that formed in a short period of time are very unstable. Avalanche risk is high in those slopes today. The wind will shift to north, then to westerly and snowdrifts will develop accordingly. Beware. Peak gates scheduled to be kept closed. A decent dump has finally come, however it’s better to stay in the trees and course-side powder areas for now. The new snow is a bit shallow but pretty good. Many of the avalanche accidents occur in leeward slopes during a storm. Sunlight is weak and the surface is hard to see. Stay in control, be prudent and ride safe. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 350cm Base - 130cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 275cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Sunday 1st February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 821cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 54 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 15cm 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 3cm Snowfall at base this season 852cm Posted on Saturday 7th February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here After the fine day yesterday and no snowfall last night, we have been snowed from early this morning and it's continuing to snow now. 15cm at Moiwa 800m from 4am according to the Avalanche Report (below), just a few down here so far. Lots more of that please. Forecasts seem to say that the main event - in terms of snowfall - is from tomorrow onwards. Today is more cloud and milder conditions with temperatures set to dip to proper cold from tomorrow evening. So don't worry if we don't get much out of it today because it does look like it really is on the way. I'm hoping to be able to get back to reporting impressive numbers to you. Anyway, I hope you have a good day and I'll update you with the latest tomorrow morning. --- I'm off to the Sapporo Snow Festival today with a few friends. I hear the Star Wars one is particularly impressive, even if I'd prefer Trek myself. This famous and very popular snow festival is held in Sapporo City and for the 66th this year, running through until Wednesday 11th February. Can't be missed in Odori Park, the grounds at Community Dome Tsudome, and along the main street in Susukino. Usually well worth a visit. Actually I think that Sapporo is well worth a visit even without the snow festival! --- Resort specific news as of 8am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Niseko Village: Looks set to open as planned this morning. Last chance for the 'Early Morning Gondola' tomorrow - 1300 yen, Niseko Gondola open from 7:30am until 8:30am. Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, 5cm snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: W5m/s, -7C, 15cm snowfall from 4am. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 275cm. Hirafu 1000m: light breeze, 5cm snowfall. Peak: W6.3m/s, -9.6C. Coastal data: Benkei cape SW2m/s, Kamui cape WSW2m/s, 1017hPa, 0.7m waves. Pre-low pressure system snowfall started from predawn and left 15cm of snow around 700m altitude. The course condition is a little softer/better, but the tracks in the trees haven’t been recovered. The general avalanche risk is low, however shallow slides are to be expected in south facing steep slopes once the sun warms up the surface. Peak gates are scheduled to open, seek for the ski patrol’s advice before stepping out of the gates. Always stay alert; one moment of inattention can end up in an accident. Beware of trees and cracks. One injury can put an end to your season. Niseko community respects all visitors’ freedom, but is also deeply concerned about their safety. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 370cm Base - 135cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 285cm Base - 170cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Saturday 7th February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 852cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 58 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 46cm 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 10cm Snowfall at base this season 862cm Posted on Monday 9th February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here I'm happy to report some fresh snow this morning. I have just got back from Hakodate and so I missed out on most of yesterdays warmth and (apparently) bit of wet as well. Would like more than the 10cm there is here, and it should be here today. Snow is being blown around though as well so difficult to put one number on it... the Avalanche Report this morning is recording up to 25cm of fresh snowfall. Right now though there's actually some breaks in the cloud, some blue sky and a bit of sunshine which wasn't quite expected, but the next snow clouds should be over us and delivering pretty quickly. Still hoping/expecting/praying for decent snow to fall over the next 2 days. It's very cold this morning as well which is good after the warmth of yesterday but alas, I need to mention the wind again as we have top lifts on hold at the start of the day because of them. Come on Niseko.... deliver, please! If not for me, for all the good folk visiting. --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: King Number 4, Ace Number 4 and King 3 lifts on hold due to strong winds. Niseko Hanazono: Hanazono Number 3 lift on hold due to strong winds. Niseko Village: Niseko Gondola and top Wonderland Chair lifts on hold due to weather conditions. Niseko Annupuri: Possibly late start for some lifts. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -6C, moderate storm, 25cm snowfall in 12 hours with snowdrift and cornice developments. Moiwa 800m NW18m/s, -11C, strong wind and snowfall, poor visibility and developed snowdrifts. Annupuri 1000m snowpack 280cm. Hirafu 1000m: -11C, strong wind with developing snowdrifts. Peak 1308m: unmeasurable, -15.8C. Coastal data: Benkei cape NW24m/s, Kamui cape WSW17m/s, 996hPa, 3.2m waves. A strong storm has made windload/snowdrifts develop in all areas. The newly formed snowdrift slabs reached up to 140cm thickness in some leeward knolls around 800m altitude, sitting on top of warm temperature (Feb 8th) layer. Those slabs are still very unstable and the avalanche hazard in leeward steep slopes is high. According to snowfall transition and observations, possibility of a large-scale avalanche is high in 700m leeward valleys. All gates above 800m will be closed. Avalanche risk is similarly high in all areas around Niseko. The storm is forecasted to continue and the avalanche risk will remain high a while after the wind calm down. Many of the avalanche accidents occur during and just after storms. Better stay away from cornice slopes, knolls and valley bottom even if the chairlifts starts running. The snow will get better soon. Have a safe day. --- Official resort snow depths: Grand Hirafu / Hanazono: Top - 380cm Base - 125cm Niseko Village: Top - 280cm Base - 180cm Niseko Annupuri: Top - 285cm Base - 160cm Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Monday 9th February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 862cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 59 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 56cm 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 10cm Snowfall at base this season 872cm Posted on Tuesday 10th February 2015 This is an archived report. The latest Niseko Now report can be found here Morning from my Hirafu base with more fresh snow to report and very cold temperatures. -17 degrees being reported by Niseko Village and Annupuri areas this morning on their upper slopes. Again not a huge amount of fresh down here, but it's snowing now and there's a solid 10cm here at base and as you can see from the report below there's more being reported around the mountain, so conditions should be pretty good this morning - especially higher up. I will have to go and check! It's not the most important number but just for the record the official upper snow depth at Niseko Grand Hirafu hits 400cm this morning. The forecast still has snowmen lined up each day through into the weekend so snow is expected daily - how much? We'll just have to see what we get served up. Yesterday the wind conditions prevented some lifts from getting started. How's today shaping up? Looks better this morning with all resorts open and apart from possible late starts due to some checks on the top lifts at Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village, open as normal. Have a fun day! Tomorrow is a national holiday in Japan - National Foundation Day. --- Resort specific news as of 8:30am - subject to change during the day Niseko Grand Hirafu: Looks set to be open as planned this morning. Niseko Hanazono: Looks set to be open as planned this morning. Possible late start for top King 4 chair. Niseko Village: Looks set to be open as planned this morning. Possible late start for top Wonderland chair. Niseko Annupuri: Looks set to be open as planned this morning. --- Niseko Avalanche Report Niseko base 6am: -11C, 20cm of snowfall in 12 hours. Moiwa 800m: NE5m/s, -13C, 30cm snowfall. Annupuri 1000m: W5m/s, -13C, snowpack 285cm. Hirafu 1000m: -12C. Peak 1308m: SE speed n/a, -18.6C. Coastal data: Benkei cape WNW17m/s, Kamui cape WSW18m/s, 996hPa, 1.6m waves. 30-40cm snowfall has been observed mainly in western areas. The snowdrifts are slowly developing but stabilizing at the same time. The slabs are also stabilizing, however cornices and knolls above 800m are still unstable and considerable avalanche risk remains in typical avalanche terrain. Gates opening are yet to be determined, please respect the ski patrol’s decision. Better refrain from riding high altitude open steep slopes today. The stabilization process is delayed due to low temperature and a failure from Feb 7th layer would trigger a large surface slab slide. The areas outside the gates is not the ski resort anymore, always be alert and ride cautiously. Carrying an avalanche beacon is not compulsory in the Niseko out of bounds area, however it is seriously recommended to do so to minimize the risks. Avalanche beacons may save not only your life, but your buddy’s too. Have a nice day. Niseko Now 2014-2015 season Data as of Tuesday 10th February 2015 Total snowfall at base so far 872cm Number of days snowfall observed at base 60 days Most snowfall observed in 1 day 45cm (15th and 26th December) November 2014 snowfall 30cm reported on 5 days December 2014 snowfall 519cm reported on 25 days January 2015 snowfall 257cm reported on 23 days February 2015 snowfall 66cm 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