Good morning! It did get a bit cold so for those of you driving heads up on the roads. They were pretty icy last night. Yesterday we saw bluebird skies and moderate temps. It did get above freezing but not quite as warm as the day before.

The backcountry safety is the same as yesterday. Most of the cornices that are going to fall have fallen. Glide cracks may be a bit of an issue and just general spots of bad snow. The freeze-thaw cycle could have made for some icy spots. It should be partly cloudy today, so a chance to view Yotei and the surrounding Niseko area again. It seems people are pretty confident we will get some more snow. The locals have been saying don't let March catch you off guard.

It looks as though Wednesday is really up in the air but the day to look forward to. It has the potential to snow, but isn't looking like enough to cover up all the hard crust around. All we can do is enjoy the sunshine that we are having at the moment and make the best of now. Snow will come at least once more, just be ready for when it does. Don't put away those snowblowers too soon or you might be regretting it!

Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 405cm
Bottom - 200cm

Niseko Village:
Top - 450cm
Bottom - 190cm

Annupuri:
Top - 480cm
Bottom - 210cm

Niseko Avalanche Report:

Niseko base 6am: -6C, no new snowfall. Coastal data: SE8m/s at Benkei cape, no waves and 1014hPa at Kamui cape. Annupuri peak: S8m/s, -12C. Annupuri 1000m: 480cm snowdepth.
Snowfall transition: Atmospheric pressure gradient is small; cold but calm weather continues. The snow surface above 800m is either crusty due to sun & wind effect or re-crystallized. New snow is non-existent. Notable hoar layers Mar 1st, 6th and 10th are present in the snowpack (thickness vary on the slope’s location). Thin surface snow avalanche is to be considered in south facing slopes as the temperature rises and sun affects slabs to form. The wind is forecasted to pick up this afternoon.
Hazard evaluation: General avalanche risk is low. Avoid riding in the valley bottoms in order to avoid being caught in the spring climax avalanche. The tracks will remain hard in the morning. Be careful not to fall or hit trees. Avalanches occur when the conditions allow and are not only subject to that day’s snowfall amount. And it only becomes an accident if someone is caught in it. Always be prudent in typical avalanche terrains; cornices, knolls and steep open slopes.
Gates: Peak gates will open at 9:30am. Pay attention to the ski patrol’s advices. Niseko respects the freedom of skiing out of bounds, however is also deeply concerned about the users safety and always hope no accidents would happen. Have a nice day.