ニュース
Niseko Gets 45cm Overnight: Snow Hits Hokkaido's Sea of Japan Side
A strong cold air mass brought snow to Hokkaido's Sea of Japan side overnight from November 9 to 10. In the 24 hours to 5:00 on November 10, JMA AMeDAS stations recorded 45cm of new snow at Kutchan, 38cm at Bifuka and 31cm at Shumarinai. Kutchan, at the foot of Niseko, now has a 54cm snow depth.
New snow to the morning of November 10 (JMA AMeDAS)
These stations had the most new snow in the 24 hours to 5:00. Sapporo had none: the snow fell mainly in Shiribeshi and the mountains of northern Hokkaido. [1]
Station | 24h snowfall | Snow depth | Nearby resorts |
|---|---|---|---|
Kutchan | 45cm | 54cm | |
Shumarinai | 31cm | 68cm | — |
Bifuka | 38cm | 44cm | |
Horokanai | 25cm | 34cm | |
Kimobetsu | 16cm | 33cm | |
Sapporo | 0cm | 0cm | — |
AMeDAS stations sit near the base of the mountains, so these are not the snow depths on the upper slopes.
Kutchan's snowiest early November in 20 years
We compared total snowfall for November 1–9 with every year since 2005 using JMA's historical data (the 10th is not included). Kutchan had 58cm this year, beating its previous high of 52cm in 2016. Kimobetsu had 36cm, also above 2016's 30cm. Shumarinai (71cm) and Horokanai (35cm) had their third-highest totals, after 2016 and 2009. [4]
How much these places usually get is on the powder days ranking (21 seasons). Average JAPOW days a season (15cm+ of new snow in a day): Horotachi 23.9 (#9 in Japan), Niseko Grand Hirafu 21.6 (#17), Rusutsu 14.1 (#44) and Bifuka 11.0 (#61), from JMA AMeDAS over 20–21 seasons.
Weather for November 10–11 (JMA)
In its 4:44 report on November 10, the Sapporo Regional Headquarters of JMA said Hokkaido is in a trough with a low pressure system, with a tight pressure gradient and unstable air. Ishikari, Sorachi and Shiribeshi are forecast to have snow then clouds on the 10th, and clouds with snow at times on the 11th. [2]
The Asahikawa Local Meteorological Office (4:41 report) forecasts snow then clouds for Kamikawa on the 10th, and snow with clouds and blizzards for Rumoi, with thunder in places. On the 11th, Kamikawa is forecast to be cloudy with snow in places, and Rumoi cloudy with snow at times. [3]
Before you drive to the mountains
Roads over the passes freeze easily after snow. Cams for Nakayama Pass, Nissho Pass and others are on Mountain pass & road cams, and each resort page has its live cam. Resorts open this season are listed on Opening dates, updated every morning.
Source: JMA AMeDAS / compiled by Japow Now!
Sources
- AMeDAS snow depth and snowfall (JMA)
- Forecast for Ishikari, Sorachi and Shiribeshi (Sapporo Regional Headquarters, JMA)
- Forecast for Kamikawa and Rumoi (Asahikawa Local Meteorological Office)
- Historical weather data (JMA)
Prepared with AI assistance from public sources. Always check each resort's official website for the latest information.