Good morning, and a good one it is too as it still feels like winter here in Niseko. At the moment, the snow is falling very heavily. I would even go as far as to say it is "dumping". We saw about 15cm overnight last night. At the rate it is snowing now there will be another 5cm before the chairs even open! Last night was an amazing one at Grand Hirafu for night skiing. The Triple King Hooded Lift was closed most of the day and had collected about 25-30cm of fresh within the entire proximity of the lift. This allowed for some awesome surfy snow.

Yesterday we saw high winds and lots of it. There was some snow but it was on and off for the most part. The wind was definitely the most dominant weather factor.

As we get more and more snow the avalanche danger is growing. Most leeward slopes are very heavily loaded and cornices will be a big problem. All south facing slopes on lower elevations have a terrible crust for bonding and are having trouble containing the new snowfall. Personally, I would say it is not a good idea to go on anything steep and in the backcountry. Slopes as little as 35 degrees have had a hard time holding their new snow layer.

With that said, there's plenty of fresh snow out there. It's still possible to fully emerge yourself in the winter here at the moment, have a great day!

Grand Hirafu / Hanazono:
Top - 430cm
Bottom - 210cm

Niseko Village:
Top - 450cm
Bottom - 200cm

Annupuri:
Top - 480cm
Bottom - 200cm

Niseko Avalanche Report:

Niseko base 6am: -5C, 15cm of broken particle snowfall and notable snowdrifts development in the past 12hours. Coastal data: WNW16m/s at Benkei cape, 2.6m waves and 1004hPa at Kamui cape. Annupuri peak: NW17.6m/s, -12.9C.
Snowfall transition: The isobars are still tightly lined-up and a strong westerly wind & snow is persisting now for more than 48hours. Cornices have grown big, up to 200-250cm in 1000m leeward slopes. The wind remains at 15m/s at sea level, 18m/s at 1000m altitude. Wind affected snow slabs (snowdrifts) of up to 100cm are found in some leeward slopes above 800m.
Hazard evaluation: Avalanche risk is extreme. The slabs are yet to stabilize and are highly likely to slide in large areas.
Caution: Highly recommended to avoid gullies and valley bottoms today. Cornices and knolls are very unstable and should not be stimulated. DO NOT duck ropes and step out of bounds.
Gates: main gates will be kept closed for the sake of all resort users. The conditions will turn better soon. Have a safe day.