2025.02.15 Saturday

Mountain base -6℃, strong wind but light snowfall. Moiwa 800m: -8.1℃, NW16m/s, huge cornice development, snowdrifts are dense and reached 150cm in some aspects. Miakeri 750m: NW5.0m/s,  snowpack is growing and good visibility. Annupuri 1100m: -11.4℃, W9.4m/s, blizzard above 1000m elevation. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -11.2℃, N8.1m/s. Coastal data: Benkei cape NNW13m/s, Kamui cape NW13m/s, 1014hPa, 2.5m waves.

Cornices and snowdrifts are developing massively in leeward slopes above 800m. Strong gale persisting above 1000m at 7am. The wind and the wave height on the shore seems to be slowly calming down, however the newly formed slabs above 1000m elevation are extremely unstable and could crush and let go with its own weight at any time. There might be people thinking of going out of bounds since the sun’s out, but it is highly recommended to avoid riding leeward aspect slopes at least until the wind calms down to 12m/s, and the windload slabs consolidates. Avalanches are very likely to occur regardless of the presence of a weak layer today. Hazard level is extreme in the entire Backbowl (Kozan no sawa) , cornice slopes of Annupuri bowl (O-sawa) and all slopes in Higashi-One. All peak gates including #4 will be closed. Please refrain from hiking up from lower gates. Sneaking in the lift line is out of question. You are in a ski resort, please abide by the rules.

Quote: Niseko Avalanche Information