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Hokkaido Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026/27: Sapporo Kokusai Leads Off on 20 November
Hokkaido's lift season now has dates. Sapporo Kokusai opens first on 20 November, Niseko United, Kiroro, Rusutsu and Furano follow on 28 November, and Kamui closes the list on 12 December. Everything hinges on snow, and with a strong El Niño in play, the JMA gives Hokkaido's Japan Sea side a 40% chance of below-normal snowfall. Honshu's Japan Sea coast looks shakier.
Michael Fulton
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
Michael Fulton
Niseko Village Unveils 86-Cabin Gondola With Glass Floors and VIP Dining Cabins
Niseko Village has announced plans for the Morino Gondola - an 86-cabin lift set to open in December 2026, replacing the resort's ageing two-seat Mori-no chairlift that's been running since the 1980s. The new gondola includes four VIP cabins with dining tables and two glass-floor cabins for a full view of the terrain below. Capacity will double, and a second phase extending to the 970m summit is planned for December 2027. Niseko Village is on the Ikon Pass.
Michael Fulton
United Airlines Adds Nonstop Flights from Chicago and San Francisco to Japan's Key Ski Gateways
United Airlines has announced two new nonstop routes to Japan launching this northern autumn. A year-round Chicago to Tokyo Narita service starts October 24, with a seasonal San Francisco to Sapporo's New Chitose Airport route running December to March three times a week. Both airports serve as primary gateways to Japan's most popular ski regions - Nagano and Hokkaido respectively.
Michael Fulton
Melbourne Skier Dies in Niseko Backcountry Incident
A 27-year-old Melbourne man has died while skiing unpatrolled backcountry terrain in Niseko, Japan. Michael "Micky" Hurst fell behind his group of seven skiers and was found unconscious on Monday afternoon. He died from a suspected heart attack after being transported to hospital. The incident marks the second fatal accident involving an Australian skier in Japan within days, following the death of Queensland's Brooke Day in a chairlift accident at Hakuba Valley.
Michael Fulton
Niseko's Record-Breaking 2024-25 Snow Season
Niseko United experienced an exceptional 2024-25 season with 1283cm of total snowfall. December saw the highest accumulation in 20 years, while February brought the season's heaviest 24-hour snowfall.
Michael Fulton
Record-Breaking Snowfall Hits Hokkaido: Niseko Reports Best December in 68 Years
Japanese ski resorts are celebrating an extraordinary start to the 2024-25 season, with Hokkaido's premier destinations recording their deepest December snow depths since 1956. Niseko United leads the charge with over 3 meters of fresh powder, while neighbouring resorts report exceptional conditions across the board.
Michael Fulton
Niseko Unveils High-Speed Gondola for 2024-25 Season
Michael Fulton
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More from the SnowStash desk
Europe Ski Resorts Open Now: What Is Skiable in Mid-October 2026
Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.
14 Oct 2026
Zermatt Plans World Cup Downhill Return on the Gornergrat for 2028
Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.
14 Oct 2026
Mt. Rose Begins Snowmaking for the 2026-27 Season at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.
13 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resorts 2026-27: What’s New at Alta, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain and More
Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.
13 Oct 2026
Mt Hutt Invests NZ$12 Million in Base Area, Tripling Its Sun Deck
Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.
11 Oct 2026
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
9 Oct 2026
Kelly Canyon, Idaho, Adds Snowmaking, a Bigger Terrain Park and More Parking for 2026-27
Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.
9 Oct 2026