SNOWJAPAN.COM: Niseko Now! Daily Report

Report: No new snow since last report. It appears to be on it's way though! This morning is the classic calm before the storm, the sky is overcast, dark and foreboding but there is barely a breath of wind out there at least down at village level. On the radar a large area of precipitation is currently moving it's way up from Northern Honshu and it's currently snowing down South of Hokkaido. The system will gradually work it's way up here later today and we cna expect pretty significant snowfalls and the winds to really pick up. The snow should continue through into tomorrow. Friday is still expected to warm a little with some rain possible then snowfalls from Saturday through into next week. Conditions on the mountain today will still be pretty good up high and there should still be some fresh tracks to be found. Lower down it's mostly tracked out and the snow may be a little crusty on sun facing aspects. Current Official Snow Depths: Grand Hirafu: Top - 310 Bottom - 180 Niseko Village: Top - 375 Bottom - 180 Annupuri: Top - 350 Bottom - 210 Avalanche Information: (Information as of this morning) Niseko Avalanche Info No.85 Moiwa base 6am: -6℃, no snowfall. Coastal data: SE4m/s at Benkei cape, E6m/s, 0.5m waves, 1013hPa at Kamui cape. Annupuri peak 6am: SE5.1m/s, predicted to pick up to NE25m/s at noon. North-easterly gusts are forecasted due to the approaching Low. This morning, new snowfall is non-existent, slight snowdrift development due to wind-blown snow and the avalanche risk is relatively low. Peak gates are scheduled to open at 9:30, however will close as the storm picks up. Better not take it too easily today, the conditions will turn bad pretty quickly. Do not seek fresh lines in strictly off limits areas, entering those areas are severely prohibited. One track left under the rope leads many others to do the same, and finally end up in an accident. The Niseko Rules are not there to restrict the freedom, but to secure all resorts users safety and to secure the freedom to ride the out of bounds areas. Beware of cracks and hitting trees. Stay away from gully bottoms, avalanches will run through there.

Snow depth: Current Official Snow Depths: Grand Hirafu: Top - 310 Bottom - 180 Niseko Village: Top - 375 Bottom - 180 Annupuri: Top - 350 Bottom - 210 .

Previous day depth: Previous Day Official Snow Depths: Grand Hirafu: Top - 320 Bottom - 190 Niseko Village: Top - 380 Bottom - 185 Annupuri: Top - 350 Bottom - 210.

New snowfall: 0cm.

Temperature at bottom: -3.

Temperature at top: -8.

Weather conditions: Overcast with cloud and wind increasing later.

Wind conditions: light to moderate.

Visibility conditions: Good.

Lift Operation: All lifts operating.

10 March 2010, 10:47am

'Niseko Now' reports provided courtesy of SnowJapan.com. For archived reports since 2002, click here

Annupuri Last Update: -
	Temp	Snow Depth	Wind
Base	-3 °C	210 cm	9 Kph
Top	-8 °C	350 cm

Niseko Grand Hirafu Last Update: -
	Temp	Snow Depth	Wind
Base	-4 °C	175 cm	10 Kph
Top	-8 °C	295 cm	10 Kph

Niseko Village (Higashiyama) Last Update: -
	Temp	Snow Depth	Wind
Base	-2 °C	170 cm	10 Kph
Top	-8 °C	370 cm	10 Kph

Click below for long range forecasts and weather plots

Niseko Mountain Resort - Grand Hirafu
Niseko Annupuri
Weather plot for East Asia
Local Kutchan Weather
Technical Weather data for East Asia