Grand Hirafu has announced they have enough snow and will turn on the lifts at 8.30am tomorrow, and Niseko Village will follow suit 24 hours later.
In what is sure to be a popular move, season passes, 50-hour and 30-hour passes were made available for purchase at the Kogen Ski Centre in Hirafu from yesterday, meaning no wait on opening morning as in previous years.
At this stage, just the run under the King Triple hooded lift will be open tomorrow, and skiers will have to catch the lift back down to the bottom at the end of their sessions. Day tickets are 2000 yen.
Niseko Village general manager Luke Hurford said they will definitely open two lifts on Sunday – the Community Chair and Banzai Chair – and depending on snowfall until then, may open more.
"There’s been a fair bit of snow and it was dry yesterday so it was blowing off the higher parts of the hill," he said.
Day passes will be 2000 yen or 4000 yen with rentals.
Rusutsu will also open tomorrow, Hanazono is hoping to open on December 6, and Annupuri is yet to make any predicitons.
Keep an eye on what the snow is doing at our new Niseko Snow Report and Forecast page – all your Niseko weather information in one place.