2025.02.18 Tuesday

Moiwa Mountain base -3℃, 15cm new snow, strong wind and snow at midnight, snowdrift development, good visibility. Moiwa 800m: -8.5℃, NNW1.6m/s, Strong N wind and snow at midnight, cornice and snowdrift development, 15cm new snow. Mikaeri 750m: -8℃, NNW2.2m/s, snow depth increasing, good visibility. Annupuri 1100m: -11.0℃, NNW4.4m/s,midnight to 4am N winds>20m/s, cornice and snowdrift development. Hirafu Hanazono 1000m: -9.9℃,  N5.9m/s, N30m/s at 1am. Coastal data: Benkei Cape N14m/s, Kamui Cape E3m/s, 1005hPa, wave 1.6m. 

A northerly wind and snow strengthened at midnight, bringing rapid hard and heavy cornice and snowdrift development from crushed crystals in areas across the mountain. The wind weakened after 4am and 15cm of crystalline snowfall fell to dawn. From dawn tests wind-driven slabs will stabilize over time. Expect slabs above 1000m break due to rider stimulation. Similarly, a collapsing cornice may trigger an avalanche. Even if the gates open, keep out of the bottom of the valleys in Kozan-no-sawa(backbowl) and Osawa. Avalanches are natural phenomena, if no one is in its path, no accident will occur. In Niseko, a heavy snow area, cracks start to appear at this time of year in various areas around the mountain. The cracks are difficult to see from above. Be careful not to fall in one. Do not blindly cross cornice slopes in Osawa or Kozan-no-sawa. Traversing can trigger an avalanche. Do not forget there will likely be people below in the valley. Gate opening yet to be decided. Please follow the patrol's decisions. More people mean more accidents. It tests your wisdom to prevent accidents. Overconfidence causes accidents. The snow is not bad. Be prepared before going out of bounds. Be careful of a sudden change in weather. Never enter strictly off limits areas Haru no Taki or Yu no Sawa. Have a nice day.

Quote: Niseko Avalanche Information